Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further action they intend to take regarding cases of sex-selection abortions, following the findings of the Care Quality Commission inspection reports on 249 abortion providers.

Earl Howe: Inspections carried out by the Care Quality Commission focused on the extent of pre-signing of HSA1 forms by certifying doctors. We await the outcome of police investigations into allegations of sex-selection abortions.
	Resolution 1829 (2011) from the Council of Europe called upon member states to collect various data on sex selection and implement a number of other measures. We are currently considering what research and data are available that might help us better explore this issue.

Air Quality

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the occupational exposure limits for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) ortho-isomers apply to tri-orthocresylphosphate (TOCP) alone or whether they apply also to the other isomers, mono-orthocresylphosphate (MOCO) and di-orthocresylphosphate (DOCP) .

Lord Freud: Workplace exposure limits (WELs) are British occupational exposure limits set to help protect the health of workers. There is a WEL for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) of 0.1 mg/m3 long term exposure limit and 0.3mg/m3 short term exposure limit.
	Mono-orthocresylphosphate (MOCO) and di-ortho cresylphosphate (DOCP) do not have WELs. The WEL for tri-cresylphosphate (TCP) does not apply to them.

Armed Forces: Commonwealth Citizens

Lord Craig of Radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy for dealing with applications by Commonwealth citizens who have served in units of the British armed forces to remain permanently in the United Kingdom when they leave the armed services.

Lord Henley: Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who have served in HM Forces can apply for settlement under paragraph 2760 of the Immigration Rules. The relevant criteria of these Rules include that the applicant must have completed four years of service with HM Forces, made his/her settlement application within two years of discharge from the British military and have no unspent conviction on the date of application. Foreign and Commonwealth citizens who are members of HM Forces are able to apply for settlement in the UK up to 10 weeks before their discharge. Special processes are in place for those service personnel who are being made redundant from HM Forces to enable their settlement applications to be dealt with on an accelerated basis.
	Further details on the relevant qualifying criteria and processes applicable to foreign and Commonwealth members of HM Forces who wish to apply for settlement upon discharge can be found in Chapter 15, Section 2A of the Immigration Directorate Instructions. This can be accessed via the UK Border Agency website using the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/IDIs/idischapterl5/.
	Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who have completed a period of at least five years' continuous service also have the option of applying to naturalise as a British citizen. In order to succeed they will need to meet the requirements of Section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981. These include completion of the relevant residence period and satisfaction of the good character requirement.
	Information on naturalisation can be found in Chapter 18 of the British Nationality Act 1981-Caseworking Instructions (Volume 1). This can be accessed via the following link: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov. uk/policyandlaw/guidance/nationalityinstructions/nivol1/.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial, health and social support is available to asylum seekers; and whether they have plans to reform the current system.

Lord Henley: Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are supported by the UK Border Agency under Section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 until their asylum claims are decided.
	Accommodation is provided to destitute asylum seekers and dependants and financial support given to meet their essential living needs. The table below sets out the weekly rates available to the categories of dependants that may be supported.
	
		
			 LEVELS OF CASH SUPPORT FROM 18 APRIL 2011 
			 £ 
			 SINGLE PERSON 
			 Aged 18 or over (excluding lone parent) 36.62 
			 Aged 25 years or over (excluding lone parent), where the decision to provide cash support was made before 5 October 2009 and the person reached age 25 prior to that date. 42.62 
			 QUALIFYING COUPLES  
			 Both 18 years or over 72.52 
			 LONE PARENT AGE 18 OR OVER  
			 Age 18 or over 43.94 
			 PERSONAL ALLOWANCE FOR DEPENDENT CHILDREN  
			 Person aged under 16 52.96 
			 Person aged 16 but under 18 (except where the person is a member of a Qualifying Couple) 39.80 
		
	
	In addition, asylum seekers who have young children aged between one and three years are eligible to receive an extra £3 per week per a child. Children aged less than one year attract an extra £5 per week per a child. Asylum seekers can also apply for a one-off maternity payment of £300 to help with the costs arising from the birth of a child.
	The contractual arrangements with accommodation suppliers and voluntary sector partners also provide for information briefings on the rights and responsibilities of the asylum seekers whilst they are in the United Kingdom and practical advice on how they can access health care and legal assistance to pursue their asylum claims.
	Asylum seekers are entitled to access NHS care without charge while their claim or appeal is being considered.
	There are no plans to reform the current system.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial, health and social support is available to asylum seekers whose applications have been refused; and whether they have plans to reform the current system.

Lord Henley: Failed asylum seekers may supported by the UK Border Agency under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. In order to be granted support, they need to show that they are destitute and can satisfy one or more of the conditions set out in Regulation 3(2) of the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to Failed Asylum-Seekers) Regulations 2005.
	Failed asylum seekers in receipt of Section 4 support will continue to receive it until the barrier to leaving the UK, upon which their support relies, is resolved. The support provided under section four consists of self-catering accommodation, plus a weekly allowance for the purchase of food and other essential items. In exceptional cases, full-board accommodation may be provided, depending on availability. The UK Border Agency is explicitly prevented by legislation from providing Section 4 support in the form of cash and therefore the weekly allowance is provided via the Azure payment card. The weekly allowance is set at a flat rate to reflect the temporary nature of the support and is currently set at £35.39 per person per week.
	Whilst not entitled to access to NHS care without charge, failed asylum seekers may apply for assistance with health costs under the NHS Low Income Scheme, using an HC1 form.
	There are no plans to reform the current system.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant asylum seekers permission to work if their applications remain undetermined after six months.

Lord Henley: The Government believe that it is important to maintain a distinction between economic migration and asylum. For this reason, an asylum applicant's claim needs to have been outstanding for at least one year before they can apply for permission to work. This is in line with our obligations under the EU Reception Conditions Directive.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant asylum seekers permission to work if their applications have been refused but they cannot be returned to their country of origin.

Lord Henley: The Government believe that it is important to maintain a distinction between economic migration and asylum. Therefore there are currently no plans to allow failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeal rights to take up employment. Those who the courts have ruled have no right to remain in the UK should return home.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum applications remained undecided at the end of (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, and (4) at present.

Lord Henley: The number of asylum applications pending an initial decision is published on an annual and quarterly basis. Latest figures are available in Table as.01 and as.01.q of the release Immigration Statistics, January to March 2012, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Science website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q1-2012/.
	The number of applications pending an initial decision in 2010 was 11,623 and in 2011 was 11,297. Latest available figures for the first quarter of 2012 show that the number of applications awaiting initial decision was 11,454.
	The number of applications awaiting an initial decision prior to 2010 has previously been published but is not available on a comparable basis following a change to the method by which these figures are produced.

Asylum Seekers

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum age dispute cases are currently awaiting determination.

Lord Henley: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports. However, the UK Border Agency publishes immigration statistics including age disputed asylum applications annually and quarterly, which are available from the Home Office Research and Statistics website. The figures show the number of age disputed asylum applications by nationality. These can be found in the Library of the House, as well as the following website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q1-2012/asylum4-q1-2012-tabs.

Asylum Seekers: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many child asylum seekers have been erroneously detained as adults in the last five years.

Lord Henley: The number of child asylum seekers who have been erroneously detained as adults in the last five years cannot be determined without examination of individual records at disproportionate cost.
	Age dispute asylum applicants will only be considered for detention in the following circumstances:
	there is credible and clear documentary evidence that they are 18 years of age or over;a full "Merton-compliant" age assessment by a local authority has been carried out and is available stating that they are 18 years of age or over. their physical appearance/demeanour very strongly suggests that they are significantly over 18 years of age and no other credible evidence exists to the contrary.
	All other age dispute applicants are not detained. They are treated as children until a full age assessment has been conducted by a local authority and all available evidence has been duly considered.

Atos Healthcare

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the annual turnover of (1) general practitioners, (2) nurses, and (3) physiotherapists, employed by Atos Healthcare to undertake the work capability assessment for each of the past five years.

Lord Freud: Data on the annual turnover of Atos Healthcare professionals (general practitioners, nurses and physiotherapists) are commercial in confidence. They cannot be released as release of the information would prejudice the interests of Atos Healthcare and the department's future dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers.

Aviation: Passenger Duty

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much of the annual value of air passenger duty is (1) refunded to non-fliers who claim it back, and (2) retained by airlines, where non-fliers do not claim it back.

Lord Sassoon: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer I gave him on 7 March (Official Report, 7/3/12; col. WA417).

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 174), whether they have an identical diplomatic approach to those imprisoned for expressing their beliefs in Bahrain; and, if not, what are the differences.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's policy is guided by the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and we are committed to taking action to protect and support human rights defenders under European Union guidelines.
	We welcomed the decision by the Bahraini Public Prosecutor in December 2011 to drop all charges relating to freedom of expression relating to last year's unrest, as recommended by the Independent Commission of Inquiry.
	We have made it clear to the Government of Bahrain that they should meet their international human rights obligations, by ensuring their citizens can exercise the universal human rights and freedoms to which they are entitled. This includes the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression. We also expect those exercising those rights to do so peacefully at all times and in accordance with the United Nations declaration and international human rights law.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made, or intend to make, representations to the Government of Bahrain about the recent shooting there of the Shia cleric Ali Salman.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of clashes between protestors and security forces on 22 June, during which Sheikh Ali Salman sustained injuries. We have not made representations about this incident, but we continue to urge the authorities to ensure restraint is exercised at all times; we also expect demonstrators to act within the rule of law and stage legal rallies. We have consistently made it clear that violence is unacceptable and hinders any efforts towards reconciliation.
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) met Sheikh Ali Salman last week to discuss the situation in Bahrain and ongoing human rights concerns.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made since the beginning of 2012 of whether Saudi Arabian security forces are involved in front-line activities in Bahrain.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We believe that there are a small number of Gulf Co-operation troops currently stationed in Bahrain to safeguard Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) base facilities. The intervention by GCC forces in 2011 came at the invitation of the Bahraini Government. To date, we have seen no evidence that GCC forces have done anything other than safeguard installations, which was also the conclusion of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 18 July (WA 56-7), whether the "political street violence" referred to in the answer refers to violence by demonstrators or by security forces or by both.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The reference to "political street violence" in my previous Answer [Official Report, 18/7/12; cols. WA56-57] refers to a small proportion of demonstrators. As I said in my previous Answer, legitimate and peaceful demonstrations are an integral part of any democratic society. But a minority of demonstrators in Bahrain continue to act outside the rule of law by taking part in illegal demonstrations and are engaged in violent acts, including the use of Molotov cocktails, high-powered darts and basic improvised explosive devices. This is unacceptable. We continue to urge the security forces to exercise restraint and regularly make clear to the Bahraini Government that the human rights of all citizens in Bahrain must be respected. We urge all sides to act within the law at all times.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 18 July [WA 56-7], by when they expect full implementation of the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.

Lord Howell of Guildford: It is not for the UK to set a deadline for full implementation of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI). Reform is an evolving process. What is of utmost importance is that the reforms implemented are effective and make a difference to the situation on the ground. It will also take time for behaviours and attitudes to change. We believe progress has been made in a number of areas. But we continue to urge the authorities to keep up the momentum and implement reforms that go beyond what is recommended by the BICI.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 16 July [WA 1), whether, since May 2010, they have raised the medical welfare of any individual named disabled prisoner in Bahrain.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our ambassador and members of staff from our embassy in Bahrain have frequently raised the medical welfare of prisoners, including disabled prisoners, with the Bahraini authorities. We continue to make clear that we expect the provision of medical welfare to be guaranteed for all prisoners in Bahrain; we have focused on this rather than on specific individual cases.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 7 July [WA 22], what representations they have made to the Government of Bahrain regarding specific universal rights and freedoms of citizens for which they believe Bahrain does not meet its international obligations to ensure citizens receive these rights.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We continue to make representations to the Government of Bahrain regarding specific human rights concerns that we have. This has, for example, included the mistreatment of detainees which, as the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report concluded, is an issue of serious concern. During the visit of the Bahraini Justice Minister earlier this month, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) also raised the importance of the authorities respecting the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Bankruptcy

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a person who (1) is subject to an undischarged bankruptcy, or (2) is a director of a company subject to an undischarged bankruptcy, is eligible to chair or serve on a police authority; and whether the membership of North Yorkshire Police Authority is consistent with the rules on bankruptcy.

Lord Henley: A person subject to a bankruptcy order, or whose estate has been sequestered, is disqualified from being a member of a police authority until or unless the bankruptcy order is annulled or the sequestration of the estate is recalled or reduced. A person is also disqualified if he or she is subject to a disqualification order or disqualification undertaking under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, the Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1989(2), the Company Directors Disqualification (Northern Ireland) Order 2002(3) or the Insolvency Act 1986(4). There are no specific disqualification requirements for chairs of police authorities. The Government are not in a position to comment on individual cases.

Barbara Hofschroer

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the case of Mrs Hofschroer was first referred to the Home Office; what are the reasons for the delay in the resolution of the matter; and when they expect the issue to be concluded.

Lord Henley: The Home Office has received correspondence relating to this case since 2009. Resolution of the case is an operational matter for North Yorkshire Police. The Home Office can play no role in police complaints cases beyond that set out in the Police Reform Act 2002. I can therefore give no indication of when the issue is likely to be concluded.

Billy Rautenbach

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in 2009 they granted a licence allowing the release of funds to Billy Rautenbach, or any entity linked with that individual, when he was on the European Union sanctions list for his alleged links with the Government of Robert Mugabe; and, if so, why.

Lord Sassoon: Conrad Muller Rautenbach was designated under EU Regulation 314/2004 on 27 January 2009 and delisted on 23 February 2012. All EU financial sanctions regulations include grounds under which licences can be issued authorising payments or actions otherwise prohibited. The Treasury considers all licence applications on a case-by-case basis against the licensing grounds of the relevant regulation and the purpose of the sanctions. Article 7 of EU Regulation 314/2004 sets out the grounds under which Member States can consider issuing a licence in respect of the Zimbabwe Regulation. However, for reasons of personal confidentiality, I regret that the Treasury is not able either to confirm or deny the information requested about named individuals.

British Citizenship

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the UK Border Agency has taken a year to consider and deal with an application for naturalisation as a British citizen by the film maker N. Howard-Moore.

Lord Henley: The UK Border Agency does not comment on individual cases. To do so without the express permission of the individual involved would risk breaching the agency's data protection obligations.

British Citizenship

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance will be given to those preparing for the Life in the UK test.

Lord Henley: The Life in the UK test is based on the official handbook Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey toCitizenship. A new edition of the handbook is being finalised with the aim of publishing it in the autumn to begin testing by the end of the year. The handbook will continue to be available in large print and audio/CD.
	Information and guidance for people seeking to take the Life in the UK test is available on the Home Office and UK Border Agency websites. There is a Life in the UK web page (http://lifeintheuktest.ukba. homeoffice.gov.uk) with links to help people to prepare for the test, including help for those not familiar with computers, a navigational tutorial and practice questions and answers to help an individual to judge their readiness to take the test. The Stationery Office also publishes a study guide and practice questions and answers.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of reports that international aid agencies are being obstructed from delivering aid to Rohingya people displaced by recent violence in Burma.

Baroness Northover: The UK is concerned by both the scale and nature of the violence in Rakhine State and its humanitarian impact. Ministers and officials continue to be active in raising the issues affecting the Rohingya community, and have called repeatedly and at the highest levels for the government to resolve the issue of nationality, and to grant the full respect for human rights to all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
	For security reasons, United Nations agencies and non-government organisations withdrew their staff from many of the areas affected by the violence. This has impeded the delivery of emergency aid and we have called on all sides to respect fundamental humanitarian access. The UN has since been able to provide some food and non-food aid to affected communities. The UK provides support to affected communities through core contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and United Nations agencies.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for International Development discussed funding for refugees from Burma with Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited the United Kingdom.

Baroness Northover: The Secretary of State for International Development met Aung San Suu Kyi when she visited the Department for International Development (DfID) on 21 June. At the meeting they discussed a range of issues which included the importance of donor co-ordination, work on anti-corruption, improving transparency, responsible investment, and the work of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) which is visiting Burma this month.
	Discussions did not focus specifically on refugees but DfID continues to provide support and keeps this under review.

Burma and Thailand

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support is being given to (1) the Mae Tao Clinic and (2) Shan Women's Action Network for their projects in Burma and in Thailand.

Baroness Northover: DfID allocated £400,000 for the Shan Women's Action Network between 2009 and 2012 to deliver assistance in the areas of education, health, capacity building and women's empowerment for Shan communities affected by conflict, displacement and violence in Burma. DfID allocated £532,000 for Mae Tao Clinic between 2009 and 2012 to assist refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) along the Thailand-Burma border. This aid finances the purchase of pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies which benefit people affected by conflict in eastern Burma. DfID is currently finalising its future programme of assistance to communities affected by conflict in Burma.

Care Homes: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of children's care homes are in the north-west of England; how many children are cared for in those homes; how many of the children originate from the region; and what factors led to the concentration of care homes in certain regions and towns.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Information obtained from Ofsted shows that at 31 March 2011 there were 510 children's homes situated in the north-west of England. This represents 25% of all children's homes in England. The latest information shows that at 31 March 2012, there were 514 children's homes situated in the north-west of England; this also represents 25% of all children's homes in England.
	At 31 March 2011, there were 1,020 looked-after children placed in care homes in the north-west of England. Of these children, 490 (48%) had been placed internally by local authorities within the north-west. Information for 2012 is not yet available.
	The distribution of children's homes in England has not come about as a result of central government policy and is influenced by a wide range of factors. These will include local authority assessment of the viability of their directly provided services, alongside decisions by businesses on where they might best invest in opening new services.

Children: Poverty

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the children assessed as living in poverty are from families whose total income is derived from social security benefits, and whether they have any means of ensuring that those benefits intended for improving the well-being of children are used for that purpose.

Lord Freud: We do not regularly produce or publish figures on the number of children living in poverty who are from families whose total income is derived from state support. One of the reasons for this is that there are likely to be few families that actually have absolutely no other income streams apart from state support, even if they report no other income in our survey, because income can come from so many different sources, ranging from the small interest payments earned on current accounts or small regular gifts from friends and family to potentially large amounts of income from employment or investments.
	We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	We do not directly monitor whether benefits intended for children are used to improve well-being. However, the 2010 Child Poverty Strategy includes a suite of indicators which ensures that Government monitors not just the income children's families receive, but also the outcomes achieved for children in poverty related to health, development and education.

China

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the new assistant bishop in Shanghai alleged to be under house arrest, and Bishop John W Ruowang of Tianshui, who was allegedly removed from office by the Government of China after one year; and whether they will make representations on their behalf.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of reports that the newly appointed Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai, Ma Daqin, disappeared on 7 July. According to media reporting Bishop John Ruowang of Tianshui was allegedly removed from his position in December 2011. We are concerned by these cases and are seeking further information about them. We will continue to seek opportunities to raise our concerns about individual cases and on issues relating to freedom of religious belief with the Chinese Government.

Courts: Vulnerable Defendants

Lord Bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of vulnerable defendants in England and Wales who (1) have mental health problems, and (2) have learning disabilities.

Earl Howe: A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in 1997 estimated that around 90 per cent. of adult prisoners had at least one of the five disorders considered in the survey (personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence). There has been no centrally commissioned survey of mental illness in prison since the ONS 1997 report. However, these were aggregate data and do not provide a separate figure for the incidence of mental illness.
	The department will commission an internal audit from its research and development team which quantifies the mental health needs of offenders, both in prison and where possible in community settings. A feasibility study for this work is due to start later this year and a fuller research study is expected to be commissioned in 2013.
	Information on learning disabilities in prisons is not collected centrally.

Crime: Gun Grime

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents of gun crime were recorded in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up to the last year for which records are available.

Lord Henley: Data for offences recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used since 1997/98 are provided for Lincolnshire police in the table. Firearms are taken to be involved in a crime if they are fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat.
	Offences recorded by the police in which firearms (excluding air weapons) were reported to have been used in Lincolnshire 1,2
	
		
			 Numbers 
			 Year Number of offences 
			 1997/98 5 
			 1998/993 16 
			 1999/00 19 
			 2000/01 24 
			 2001/02 22 
			 2002/034 37 
			 2003/04 26 
			 2004/05 90 
			 2005/06 72 
			 2006/07 45 
			 2007/08 41 
			 2008/09 16 
			 2009/10 19 
			 2010/11 17 
		
	
	1. Police recorded firearm offences data are submitted via an additional special collection.
	2. Excludes offences involving the use of air weapons and offences recorded by British Transport Police. Includes crimes recorded by police where a firearm has been fired, used as a blunt instrument against a person or used as a threat.
	3. In April 1998, changes to crime recording and the coverage of police recorded crime mean that figures are not comparable with earlier years.
	4. The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced in April 2002, although some forces adopted NCRS practices before the standard was formally introduced. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. The introduction of NCRS led to a rise in recording in 2002/03 and, particularly for violent crime, in the following years as forces continued to improve compliance with the new standard.

Cuerden Valley Park Trust

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give an update on the activity in relation to the Cuerden Valley Park Trust of (1) the Department for Communities and Local Government, and (2) the Homes and Communities Agency.

Baroness Hanham: The Homes and Communities Agency has established a small working group of parties with an interest in the future of the park to look at the options available. Chorley Borough Council, South Ribble Borough Council, Lancashire County Council and the Homes and Communities Agency have agreed to work with the trust in this group and the first meeting of the Cuerden Valley Park Trust Working Group is scheduled for 2 August, chaired by John Stainton, chairman of the board of trustees. The remit is to look at further options that can be pursued that either help to sustain the park in the short to medium term or, if possible, provide a long-term solution. The agency will provide regular updates to the department.

Education: Languages

Lord Harrison: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will respond to the report by the Education and Employers Taskforce for Collins Language regarding the importance of languages acquisition for UK companies. [HL1106
	 Question number missing in Hansard, possibly truncated question.

Lord Hill of Oareford: We welcome this report. Learning a language benefits both individuals and the wider economy. The Government are taking steps to improve language teaching. The English baccalaureate has started to reverse the long-term decline in numbers taking languages at GCSE. We have proposed that a foreign language be compulsory for seven to 11 year-olds in maintained schools from 2014, so that they benefit from being taught a language from an early age.
	Work-related learning can be important for young people at school, but schools are best placed to decide what is appropriate to suit the needs and circumstances of their pupils. In higher education, modern languages are classed as strategically important and vulnerable subjects and continue to attract targeted funding to support the numbers of students taking up places. This will help to increase the pool of talented linguists seeking employment.
	We believe it is important that employers are able to lead the skills system, so the qualifications and the training available, through colleges and other providers, properly reflect business needs.
	The UK Commission for Employment and Skills, and the Sector Skills Councils, are now working with, and on behalf of, employers from all sectors to increase workforce skills. To assist with this process, we have introduced the Growth and Innovation Fund and the Employer Ownership Pilot; these assist businesses to define the vocational skills they need, which may include language skills, and develop new ways to meet them. We believe this will lead to amore responsive skills system better able to match employers' demands.

Egypt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 169), whether British diplomatic staff in Egypt include any of the Coptic faith.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) follows Civil Service best practice guidance in monitoring equality and diversity in our workforce. There is no obligation on staff to provide information on their religious practice, and the diversity data collected for those declaring themselves as Christians only distinguish between Christian Catholic, Christian Other and Christian Protestant. We therefore do not hold information on the number of British diplomatic staff in Egypt who practise the Coptic faith.

Egypt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 4 July (WA 169), whether they intend to have direct discussions with the leaders of the Coptic faith and community in Egypt over their welfare and freedoms.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We maintain an open communication channel and are in regular contact with representatives of the Coptic Church and other religious minorities through our embassy in Cairo and in the UK.

Embryology

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prepare Clinical Commissioning Groups for their new responsibilities as commissioners of fertility treatment.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers of intervention the NHS Commissioning Board will have in the event of a Clinical Commissioning Group failing to provide IVF treatment to eligible couples.

Earl Howe: Infertility treatment services will be commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) with the NHS Commissioning Board providing oversight and support. This will include the provision of supportive resources and tools on how CCGs can collaborate to commission infertility treatment services.
	The NHS Commissioning Board will have general intervention powers in relation to CCGs, should it be satisfied that a CCG is failing or has failed to discharge any of its functions or there is a significant risk that it will fail to do so. These include directing the CCG to discharge a function in a particular way and within a specified period. The board will also have powers to request documents and information, and to require from a CCG explanation of how it is proposing to exercise any of its functions. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires the board to publish guidance setting out how it proposes to exercise its intervention powers, so as to ensure that the arrangements are clear and transparent. The Commissioning Board will need to consider CCG responsibilities to commission infertility treatment services as part of this.

Employment Tribunals

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claimants in receipt of Employment Support Allowance whose appeals have been allowed by a tribunal have been sent for reassessment within two years of the tribunal decision.

Lord Freud: The information is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We will consider whether it is feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit, and if so, will issue them in an official statistics release in accordance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

EU: Association Agreements

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 13 July (WA 284), by what means the human rights clauses of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement have been or are being enforced; and whether they will give examples of successful enforcement.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The human rights clauses of the European Union (EU)-Israel association agreement form the basis for discussions between the EU and Israel regarding the EU's concerns on human rights. This includes at meetings of the informal working group on human rights, at the EU-Israel Association Committee meetings and at the EU-Israel Association Council, which will meet on 24 July.
	The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition, that upgrade must be based on the shared values of both parties, and particularly on respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, good governance and international humanitarian law.

Extradition: Gary McKinnon

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government for how long the Gary McKinnon case has been awaiting a final decision; and what expert opinion in the case the Home Secretary has (1) sought, (2) accepted, and (3) rejected.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the comments on the case of Gary McKinnon by John Arquilla.

Lord Henley: The Home Secretary agreed to review the case of Gary McKinnon in May 2010. She will consider carefully all the relevant medical and legal material, and other representations before making her decision.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have received on whether work has started on four water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the Gaza Strip which received approval in December 2011 from the Government of Israel; and if work has not started, whether they will make urgent representations to the Government of Israel about those projects.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware that the Government of Israel approved some projects on water, sanitation and hygiene in December 2011, but we are not aware of new sanitation or water projects starting since then in Gaza.
	We have concerns about the implementation of community projects and continue to make representations to the Israeli Government on this issue. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised this with the Co-ordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Dangot, on 16 July.
	Water and sanitation projects worth over $70 million and benefiting over 1.4 million Palestinians are still awaiting Israeli approval for access of materials. The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East is of great concern to us. The Government continue to press the Israeli Government, bilaterally and by working with others such as the European Union, on the need to ensure adequate access to water in Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all.

Gaza

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last made representations to the Government of Israel about access to and egress from Gaza for vehicles and materials; and with what results.

Lord Howell of Guildford: When the Parliamentary Under-Secretary State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) visited Gaza in July 2011, he saw how the Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people, including on access to agricultural and fishing areas, do tremendous damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza and serve to strengthen, not weaken, Hamas. The current situation fosters radicalisation and empowers Hamas, while punishing the ordinary people of Gaza. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests. In close co-ordination with our European Union partners and the Office of the Quartet Representative, we continue to press the Israeli Government at ministerial and official level to ease access restrictions. We welcome some recent small steps in this direction, including the first exports of textile goods from Gaza to the UK.

Gaza

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, the prohibition of trade and economic activities with illegal settlements, the treatment of prisoners and children in detention, halting increases in the numbers of settlers in the Occupied Territories and Area C of the West Bank, and compensation for buildings destroyed in the Occupied Territories and Area C are all on the agenda for forthcoming meetings between the European Union and Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: On 15 May the European Union (EU) issued Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions which set out the EU position on Gaza, settlements, settlement produce, human rights, Area C and demolitions: www.consiliurn.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130195.pdf.
	The EU-Israel Association Agreement provides mechanisms for the EU to regularly and periodically raise our concerns on these issues with Israel. On 2 May 2012 the association committee reviewed the progress of all sub-committees and working groups operating under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. These sub-committees will continue to meet throughout 2012 and provide the EU with an opportunity to raise any issue of concern with Israel.
	The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. In addition, that upgrade must be based on the shared values of both parties, and particularly on respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, good governance and international humanitarian law.

Gaza

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the implementation of the 16 internationally-led projects to alleviate Gaza's water shortage currently awaiting implementation; and what representations they have made to the Government of Israel to produce a timetable for completion.

Baroness Northover: UK officials regularly discuss the issue of access to water with Israeli counterparts, and call on Israel to allow entry of essential items on the dual-use list to allow for rehabilitation of the water network. We have supported the Palestinian Authority's crossing co-ordination committee in its work in co-ordinating movement of all goods into and out of Gaza by providing it with equipment necessary for its day-to-day functioning. We are also working closely with the Office of the Quartet Representative (OQR) to hold Israel to account for promises made as part of the most recent Confidence Building Measures package.
	DfID has not specifically lobbied on the implementation of the 16 internationally-led projects referred to in the question. The main lead on water issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories lies with the Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene group (EWASH). EWASH co-ordinates project management among almost 30 donors, agencies and organisations working on water and sanitation projects in both the West Bank and Gaza, and ensures that the donor community's messages to the appropriate Israeli authorities on these issues are coherent and consistent.

Government Departments: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total number of staff employed within the private offices of ministers and the permanent secretary at the Department for Education on 1 June; and how many of them were (1) under the age of 21, (2) apprentices under the age of 21, and (3) apprentices over the age of 21.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The total number of staff employed in the private offices on 1 June 2012 was 70. All are aged over 21 and while there are currently no apprentices in private offices, at least two permanent members of staff in private offices began their careers in the department on the apprenticeship scheme. We expect several new apprentices to be placed in private offices in the autumn.

Government Departments: Public Consultations

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the greatest number of responses to a public consultation that the Home Office has been able to consider and on which it has offered a public policy decision within (1) three months, or (2) six months, of the ending of the public consultation.

Lord Henley: Information on the number of responses to certain individual consultations is published in government response documents. These can be found on the Home Office website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/consultations/under closed consultations.
	An example of a consultation with a relatively large number of responses for which a response document was published within six months was the Rebalancing the Licensing Act, a consultation on empowering individuals, families and local communities to shape and determine local licensing. This received a total of 1,089 responses.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended), for aircrew in flight in British airspace, as well as in aircraft on the ground and intended for flight.

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for regulating the occupational health and safety of crew members pursuant to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004. A memorandum of understanding between HSE and CAA allocates responsibility to avoid duplication of effort.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Health and Safety Executive enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for British-registered aircraft outside British airspace.

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority for the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for regulating the occupational health and safety of crew members pursuant to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, and for regulating the health of all persons on board British registered aircraft pursuant to the Civil Aviation Act 1982. A memorandum of understanding between the CAA and HSE allocates responsibility to avoid duplication of effort. HSE gives a lesser priority to enforcement in areas where other regulators have responsibilities and are better placed to regulate.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority on health and safety regulatory responsibilities for public transport and cargo aircraft operations, which organisation is responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for aircrew on board aircraft, on the ground before or after flight, and in flight; whether aircrew employees are protected by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) whilst working in aircraft in British airspace; and on how many occasions since the MoU was signed either organisation has enforced the legislation for infringements that have occurred.

Lord Freud: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the enforcing authority responsible for enforcing the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended) for aircrew on board aircraft, on the ground before or after flight, and in flight.
	The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) also has responsibility for the health and safety of aircrew under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004, and for the health of persons aboard aircraft under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. Where the regulatory functions of HSE and CAA overlap, the memorandum of understanding between them sets out who is the most appropriate regulator so as to avoid duplication, as happens in other areas of work activity. HSE gives less priority to enforcement in areas where other regulators have responsibilities and are better placed to regulate.
	Since the MoU was signed, HSE has taken the following enforcement action in relation to operations around aircraft on the ground: one prosecution; seven improvement notices and two deferred prohibition notices. None of the enforcement action relates to a breach of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).
	CAA has taken no enforcement action in relation to any chemical exposure on board aircraft under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations.

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the occupational health and safety enforcement responsibilities designated to the Civil Aviation Authority under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004 involve the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).

Lord Freud: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not have enforcement responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended). However, CAA is given occupational health and safety enforcement responsibilities under the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004.
	CAA regulatory responsibilities require that crew members are provided at all times during the course of their employment with adequate health and safety protection and prevention services or facilities appropriate to the nature of their employment.

Health: Contraceptive Services

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK on restrictions in access to contraceptive services; and whether they plan to implement the relevant recommendations of the report.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will implement the recommendation made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sexual and Reproductive Health in the UK in its recent report Healthy women, healthy lives for the forthcoming sexual health policy document to be published as soon as possible; and whether they will give a date for its publication.

Earl Howe: The department expects the National Health Service to offer comprehensive access to contraception services and free supplies of all methods of contraception.
	The department will set out plans to improve sexual health services in our sexual health policy document later this year and from next April contraceptive services will be commissioned as part of new arrangements for public health services. Local authorities (LAs) will be mandated to commission open access services and access to all methods of contraception for people of all ages. LAs will receive new ring-fenced public health budgets for the first time.

Health: Multiple Sclerosis

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence quality standard on multiple sclerosis is due to be developed and published.

Earl Howe: We asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to develop a quality standard on multiple sclerosis in March 2012 as part of a library of approximately 170 NHS quality standards. NICE has not yet published a timescale for the development of this quality standard.
	A full list of quality standards, including information on those currently in development and those already published can be found on NICE's website: www.nice.org. uk/guidance/qualitystandards/qualitystandards.jsp

Health: Neuromuscular Disease

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the NHS Commissioning Board about the future funding arrangements for neuromuscular care advisors in England.

Earl Howe: Adult specialised neurosciences services form part of the Specialised Services National Definitions set. Under the Health and Social Care Act (2011), the NHS Commissioning Board (NHSCB) will have responsibility for the direct commissioning of a number of services including those specialised services that are currently commissioned on a national or regional basis. Work is currently in hand to determine the list of services. No final decisions have yet been made on which services the NHSCB will directly commission from April 2013. Ministers expect to be in a position to set out an initial list in the summer. This will then be subject to consultation with the NHSCB, prior to setting out in regulations.
	For low-volume services that fall outside the scope of specialised services, there will be flexibility for commissioning groups to decide how to commission, for example, through collaboration or through a lead-commissioner arrangement.
	The department has not had any specific discussions with the NHSCB about the future funding arrangements for neuromuscular care advisers in England.

Health: Orthopaedics

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available to Clinical Commissioning Groups to help them design and plan services to prevent falls and fragility fractures in older people.

Earl Howe: The department provides guidelines through the department's falls and bone health commissioning toolkit.
	In addition, the department held a Falls and Fractures Summit with Age UK and the National Osteoporosis Society in October 2011 to explore how to improve services for patients with falls and fractures.

Health: PDE5 Inhibitors

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to discourage men who experience erectile dysfunction from buying PDE5 inhibitors from unlicensed online pharmacies if they are unable to access appropriate treatment in the National Health Service.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent the sale of counterfeit PDE5 inhibitors by unlicensed online pharmacies.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any assessment has been made of the volume of counterfeit PDE5 inhibitors that enter the United Kingdom illegally each year through (1) community pharmacies, and (2) online pharmacies.

Earl Howe: As both the availability of medicines through unregulated websites and the global availability of counterfeit medicines present distinct problems to public health in the United Kingdom, the UK Government take these issues very seriously.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) engages in regular public awareness campaigns with stakeholders to warn consumers of the inherent dangers of purchasing any type of medicine online. The MHRA tackles online pharmacies through monitoring websites offering to supply medicines (particularly prescription medicines) to UK citizens and has also initiated a highly successful global annual international enforcement operation which targets medicines sold via the internet, resulting in the closing down of thousands of websites.
	The MHRA has developed and implemented a falsified medical products strategy which puts in place a number of measures to prevent counterfeit medicines and medical devices from reaching patients.
	European legislative changes were announced by the European Parliament on 15 February 2011 in the form of the Falsified Medicines Directive and will be implemented in the UK from January 2013. The provisions will include additional obligations on manufacturers and distributors of medicines. The directive also requires member states to introduce national arrangements to register suppliers of medicines at a distance.
	There has been one known instance of a counterfeit PDE5 inhibitor entering the UK through a community pharmacy which was Cialis in 2004. There is no definitive way of assessing the volume of online trade in medicines and medical devices.

Health: Smallpox Vaccine

Lord Jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Warner on 28 November 2005 (WA 12-13), how many (1) doctors, (2) nurses, (3) ambulance staff, (4) scientists, (5) police personnel and (6) others have been vaccinated for smallpox with the intention of enabling them to deal with a terrorist attack, and how many of those have had complications leading to further treatment using vaccine immunoglobulin.

Earl Howe: In line with the risk assessment at the time, a cohort of front-line health workers was vaccinated in 2005 to deal with any initial suspected or confirmed cases of smallpox should it occur. The cohort comprised a total of 516 vaccinated personnel of whom 147 were doctors, 164 were nurses, 100 were ambulance staff, 32 were scientists and 73 held other related healthcare occupations. All those vaccinated were carefully screened and monitored and none had adverse complications that required vaccinia immunoglobulin.
	The Home Office has confirmed that since 2005 it has not commissioned a vaccination programme against smallpox for police emergency responders. The department's smallpox policy is currently under review.

Health: Training and Education

Lord Willis of Knaresborough: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require private sector and third sector organisations in receipt of healthcare contracts to participate in the education and training of nurses and other health care professionals.

Earl Howe: Any organisation providing National Health Service-funded services will be expected to participate in the education and training of the healthcare workforce. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places a duty on any person providing services as part of the health service to co-operate with the Secretary of State, in the discharge of his new duty in Section 1F of the National Health Service Act 2006 to exercise his functions so as to secure an effective education and training system.
	This duty will take effect from 1 April 2013. It will be achieved by amending the NHS standard contract so that it includes clauses requiring all providers of NHS services to co-operate with their local education and training board to enable it to plan, commission and quality assure education and training effectively.

House of Lords: Legislation

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Strathclyde on 9 July (WA 212), whether Ministers receive a briefing on the implications of the Pepper v Hart judgment for the interpretation of legislation before they introduce a Bill in Parliament; and, if so, of what does that briefing consist.

Lord Strathclyde: Any briefing or legal advice provided to Ministers on the interpretation of legislation prior to a Bill being introduced is done on a case-by-case basis. Reference to the Pepper v Hart judgment is made in the Cabinet Office Guide to Making Legislation.

Housing

Baroness King of Bow: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Hanham on 28 May (WA 111), what was the breakdown of the grant allocated to each developer from (1) the National Affordable Housing Programme (2008-11), and (2) the Affordable Homes Programme (2011-15).

Baroness Hanham: The breakdown of grant allocated to each developer from the National Affordable Housing Programme (2008-11) and the Affordable Homes Programme (2011-15) is set out below.
	
		
			 Developer Affordable Homes Programme 2011-15 (£m) National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-11 (£m) 
			 Barratt Developments PLC 10.90 23.70 
			 Bellway PLC 10.80 3.30 
			 Berkeley Homes Group 0.00 44.70 
			 Bovis Homes Group PLC 5.10 0.60 
			 Crest Nicholson 0.00 0.40 
			 Galliford Try PLC 17.10 7.70 
			 Persimmon Ltd 20.60 1.60 
			 Redrow Regeneration Ltd 0.00 0.00 
			 Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd 0.00 2.30 
			 Telford Homes PLC 4.50 17.80 
		
	
	Figures provided in the Written Answer on 28 May (WA 111) also included allocations made through the Kickstart programme.
	The 2011-15 programme will invest £4.5 billion of taxpayers' money in affordable housing and lever in a further £15 billion of private investment, assisted by innovative schemes like Affordable Rent.
	The National Audit Office's recent report (Financial Viability of the Social Housing Sector:Introducing the Affordable Homes Programme, HC 465, 4 July 2012)observed that: "The Department selected the best delivery model open to it for the funds it had available ... The Department has so far achieved its policy objective to maximise the number of homes delivered within the available grant funding ... The Programme was over subscribed which led to the Department raising its target for the number of affordable homes it expects to deliver".

Human Trafficking and Servitude

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the abolition of the Overseas Domestic Workers Visa on the problems of servitude and human trafficking.

Lord Henley: The Overseas Domestic Worker (ODW) visa has not been abolished. Following a consultation last year on options for reforming the ODW routes, including closing the private household route, the Government introduced reforms in April. These restore the original purpose of the ODW routes, to allow visitors and diplomats to be accompanied by their domestic staff rather than provide permanent access to the UK for unskilled workers. The reforms recognise that the ODW routes can result in the import of abusive employer/employee relationships to the UK. They address the risk by ensuring those entering the UK through the private household route do so only for a short time and to accompany an employer with whom they have a pre-existing relationship.
	The Government consider that these reforms will help reduce the risk of the ODW routes being used to traffic workers into slavery and servitude. In addition, the UK's protections for victims of trafficking and slavery remain available to those using the ODW routes.

Immigration

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many foreign nationals who hold a criminal conviction that has not been spent or exhausted under the law in their home nation, or under English law, have been allowed entry clearance into the United Kingdom.

Lord Henley: Entry clearance officers consider decisions to refuse or grant a visa on a case by case basis and take into account a range of factors including criminal records from both the UK and overseas. The exact nature of all individual visa refusals is not recorded centrally. To answer the question would therefore require examination of individual records which would result in disproportionate costs.

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that Parliament has the opportunity to scrutinise all changes to the Immigration Rules before enforcement; and how they plan to improve the current system for scrutinising such changes.

Lord Henley: Her Majesty's Government endeavour to respect the convention of allowing 21 days between the date on which Immigration Rules are laid and the date on which they come into force. However, where operational or legal requirements necessitate an urgent change to the Immigration Rules in order to preserve their procedural or legal integrity, it is necessary to bring changes to the rules into force in a shorter time. The procedure laid down in Section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 nevertheless applies in all cases. If changes to the Immigration Rules laid before Parliament are disapproved by a resolution within 40 sitting days from the date on which the changes are laid, the Secretary of State shall make such changes to the Immigration Rules as appear to her to be required in the circumstances within 40 sitting days from the date of the resolution. Her Majesty's Government consider that the period of 40 sitting days allowed for disapproval by resolution provides ample opportunity for thorough scrutiny of changes to the rules and do not consider that any improvements are needed to the system for scrutinising such changes.

Immigration: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children are currently detained for immigration purposes in (1) removal centres, (2) short-term holding facilities, and (3) pre-departure accommodation.

Lord Henley: Latest published figures show that as at 31 March 2012 there was one child held, solely under Immigration Act powers, at Cedars pre-departure accommodation.
	The Home Office releases statistics on detention, solely under Immigration Act powers on a quarterly basis, within Immigration Statistics and on children entering detention on a monthly basis which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Science, Research and Statistics website at: http://homeoffice.gov.uk/science-research/research-statistics/.

Immigration: Criminal Records

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government how differences between criminal sentences given in England compared with Australia, Canada and the United States are accounted for, when allowing entry clearance into the United Kingdom.

Lord Henley: Entry clearance officers consider decisions to refuse or grant entry clearance on a case-by-case basis and will take into account a range of factors, including overseas criminal records.
	Paragraph 320(18) of the rules states that an application should normally be refused if that person has been convicted of an offence in any country, which could have attracted a term of imprisonment of 12 months or more if the offence had been committed in the UK. Entry clearance officers should not refuse under paragraph 320(18) if the conviction is considered spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
	Paragraph 320(18) will not apply where an applicant has been cautioned. When determining if a refusal under paragraph 320(18) is appropriate, the entry clearance officer must ensure that the refusal is both proportionate and reasonable. All cases are considered on their individual facts.

Immigration: Domestic Violence

Lord Dholakia: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many settlement applications are received by the UK Border Agency each year under the SET (DV) provisions on domestic violence; how many of those applications are successful; and how many of those successful applications are decided prior to the culmination of any relevant court proceedings on domestic violence.

Lord Henley: The number of settlement applications received each year since 2006 under SET (DV) provisions are as outlined below:
	
		
			  Applications received Granted Settlement 
			 2006 1,132 309 
			 2007 1,318 275 
			 2008 1,345 647 
			 2009 1,287 742 
			 2010 1,215 821 
		
	
	We do not collect details of cases that are decided prior to any outstanding court proceedings being concluded. It would be rare that a decision would be made prior to court action being concluded but when it does happen it is only when the evidence of domestic violence is overwhelming.
	The information relating to number of applications has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. The information relating to the number of cases granted settlement is taken from published data last updated on 25 August 2011. This data will be updated next in August 2012.

Iran

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will draw the attention of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, Mr Ahmed Shaheed, to the case of the founder and President of the Human Rights Organisation of Iranian Kurdistan, Mohammad Sadiq Kaboudvand, on hunger strike in prison in Tehran.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We will continue to draw the attention of Dr Shaheed to the many human rights cases of concern in Iran, including that of Mohammad Sedigh Kaboudvand. We are particularly concerned about Mr Kaboudvand's health following his hunger strike. We highlighted his case on 3 May through our Farsi social media presence as part of a series dedicated to imprisoned journalists in Iran and will continue to follow his case closely. We frequently call on Iran directly to cease the persecution of human rights defenders.

Iran

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last made representations to the Government of Iran concerning the Farsi-language Christian churches there, and with what result; and whether they will continue making representations on behalf of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and Pastor Farshid Fathi and other imprisoned Christians, in particular about their consequent loss of jobs and homes.

Lord Howell of Guildford: In a Statement on 10 May, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) called on Iran to overturn Pastor Nadarkhani's death sentence and stop the harassment of individuals on the basis of their religious beliefs. (A copy of the Statement can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website: www.fco.gov.uk/en/newsilatest-news/?view=News&id=763080082.)
	While Iran appears not to have overturned the sentence, neither are there reports it has been carried out. We believe that raising the profile of such cases and international pressure does make a difference. We will therefore continue to make representations to Iran about the persecution of individuals on religious grounds, including through their recently accepted protecting power in the UK, the Sultanate of Oman. We will raise Pastor Nadarkhani, Pastor Fathi and the persecution of Christians more broadly, including the effects on their employment and property, with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed; and we will press in international fora such as the UN General Assembly this autumn for the Iranian Government to cease the persecution of religious minorities in Iran.

Israel

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation by the Government of Israel of the recommendation of the 2008 Goldberg Commission which recommended the recognition of most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages in Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We remain concerned that the Israeli Government's Goldberg Commission's 2008 recommendations, which included a recommendation to recognise most of the remaining unrecognised Bedouin villages, has not brought about an end to the demolition of Bedouin houses and villages.
	Our Embassy is in regular contact with Bedouin leaders and activists and our Ambassador to Israel has discussed the issue with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Minister Begin on a number of occasions. Minister Begin told our Ambassador that the majority of the unzoned and unplanned villages would stay in place. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt) also spoke to Minister Begin on 12 July to raise our concerns and encourage further dialogue between the Israeli Government and Bedouin representatives. Extensive consultations with the Bedouin community are underway and it is clear that decisions are not yet imminent. We hope that this process will result in an agreed and satisfactory solution to the long-standing issue of unrecognised Bedouin villages.

Israel

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel on the draft legislation before the Knesset which seeks to ban mosques from using loudspeakers during the call to prayers.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The bill tabled by Knesset Member Michaeli was rejected by the Israeli Ministerial Committee for legislation in 11 December 2011. We have therefore made no representations on the matter.
	In general we place real importance on the right to freedom of religion for all. We condemn all instances of violence and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith or belief, including attacks or discrimination against Christians in the Middle East. Our embassies in the region monitor and raise concerns over human rights with host Governments, including freedom of religion or belief, whenever appropriate. Where possible our embassies take action on individual cases where persecution or discrimination has occurred and lobby for changes in discriminatory practices and laws. We also continue to raise freedom of religion or belief in bilateral and European Union human rights dialogues and we work in the United Nations and with other international organisations to uphold universal standards.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank and East Jerusalem

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases have been filed by British citizens or residents claiming compensation or damages for land or properties in the West Bank or East Jerusalem; whether they will promote or assist them with a view to establishing legal precedents; and when they expect the first of any such cases to be decided.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are not aware of any cases filed by British citizens or residents claiming compensation or damages for land or properties in the West Bank or East Jerusalem.

Lebanon

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are assisting the National Dialogue taking place between political leaders in Lebanon; and what assessment they have made of the contribution of the recent publication by Conciliation Resources Reconciliation, reform and resilience: Positive peace for Lebanon.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are strongly committed to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon, which is also critical for the stability of the region. To this end we have doubled our support to the Lebanese security forces and are providing assistance to strengthen Lebanon's democratic institutions. Lebanese political factions met in the National Dialogue on 11 and 25 June, for the first time since early 2010. We have welcomed the resumption of the National Dialogue and are urging all Lebanese parties to work together to continue to reduce tensions. This was also the message given by the European Foreign Affairs Council in its conclusions agreed on 23 June.
	Earlier this month, officials attended a presentation held by Conciliation Resources on the launch of its Accord publication on Lebanon. We welcome the contribution this will make to the debate within Lebanon and in the international community about how to support reconciliation and reform in Lebanon to promote long-term stability and prosperity.

Middle East and North Africa: Discrimination against Women

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider assembling before 2014 a conference to consider implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa; and whether, through the Arab Partnership and all other means, they will support participation by women in their local economies in those regions.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK works with all the UN agencies, in particular UN Women, to advance women's rights. The UK embodies the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) non-discrimination principle in domestic legislation and the implementation of the convention is also supported by a range of non-legislative measures. The UK reports regularly to the CEDAW committee. Its latest periodic report was submitted in June 2011 and we expect the oral examination to take place during summer 2013.
	We believe that it would be better for any Middle East and North Africa-wide conference on CEDAW to be led and assembled by players in the region. We would consider favourably providing expert input and support to such a conference if requested, as we did when we part-funded with the European Union, a National Women's Conference in Libya in November 2011, and assistance in meeting their commitments under CEDAW.
	In 2011 the UK established the Arab Partnership initiative, backed by Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)/Department for International Development (DfID) Arab Partnership Funds of £110 million over four years-a £40 million FCO-led Arab Partnership Participation Fund (APPF) and a £70 million DfID-led Arab Partnership Economic Facility (APEF) to support political and economic participation in the MENA region. Encouraging greater participation for women in all political and economic life is an important aspect of the fund's work. Under all our funding instruments we ensure that gender issues are taken into account in our projects and that all programmes have a focus on the marginalised, particularly women and girls. We have also supported projects with a specific gender focus, e.g. a voter outreach programme in Tunisia targeting women voters in rural areas.
	The Government support women's participation in their local economies across the region. Our regional women's political participation work is directly linked to women's economic empowerment, and contributes to tackling legal and regulatory frameworks which inhibit their ability to participate fully in economic life. In addition, we are working with international finance institutions in the region to ensure, for example, that their small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and access to finance programming include women fully. At a local level, in Egypt, we are also supporting rural women's engagement in microfinance and entrepreneurship in their communities.

National Crime Agency

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the budget that will be required for the additional responsibilities to be taken on by the National Crime Agency; what assessment they have made as to whether there will be any additional costs arising from the new responsibilities; and whether any such costs can be met from existing budgets.

Lord Henley: The Government have committed to deliver the National Crime Agency (NCA) from within the combined budgets of its precursor organisations. For the first full financial year of operations, the NCA budget is estimated to be approximately £400 million. The NCA will use its enhanced intelligence capability and tasking and co-ordination arrangements to co-ordinate the law enforcement response to serious and organised crime so that resources are focused where they can have the greatest impact and duplication is eliminated. Budget considerations are included in the ongoing work on the design and operating model for the NCA.

National Crime Agency

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the budget required for each of the four commands within the National Crime Agency.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether each of the commands within the National Crime Agency will have its own distinct budget to adhere to and work within.

Lord Henley: The National Crime Agency (NCA) will comprise four operational commands: Organised Crime, Border Policing, Economic Crime, and Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP). These commands will be supported by centralised, cross-cutting capabilities for intelligence, prioritisation, tasking and cyber crime. The NCA director-general will be responsible for ensuring that the resources provided to the NCA are allocated in the most efficient and effective manner in accordance with the NCA's strategic priorities.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total amount spent in each of the last five years on publicising and explaining in the United Kingdom the roles and functions of NATO.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreignand Commonwealth Office does not maintain a specific budget for diplomacy campaigns related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). We do seek, however, to publicise the UK's role in NATO through regular media channels. The most recent example would be the foreign attendance by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) at the NATO Chicago Summit in May.
	For the past five years, the UK's delegation to NATO (UKDel NATO) has also had two staffing resources working on communications. UKDel NATO currently has one press officer and one digital/media support officer who work on ensuring UK messaging is fully integrated into NATO's public diplomacy work, liaise with Brussels-based UK and international media, and work on digital outreach.
	The UK also contributes to the NATO Civil Budget which, in part, supports the NATO Public Diplomacy budget. Calendar year figures for the NATO Public Diplomacy budget for the last five years are below:
	
		
			 Year NATO Public Diplomacy Division Budget (excluding Staff costs)(£million based on current exchange rate) 
			 2008 6.6 
			 2009 6.9 
			 2010 7.2 
			 2011 6.5 
			 2012 6.1

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what the UK financial contribution has been in each of the last five years to the Civil Budget of NATO.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Civil Budget covers the running costs of the NATOpolitical headquarters in Brussels, including the salaries of international civil servants (from the Secretary-General downwards) and utilities, buildings maintenance and official travel. The current UK contribution is approximately 11% of the total.
	
		
			 Year Contribution (£million based on current exchange rate) 
			 2008/09 21.6 
			 2009/10 21.0 
			 2010/11 19.7 
			 2011/12 20.1 
			 2012/13* 20.5 
		
	
	* Projected

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total number of people in the UK delegation to NATO; and how this has changed over the past five years.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is made up of a mixture of Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Ministry of Defence (military and civilian) employees. The current level of staff (including contracted services staff) is 56.
	There has been a steady reduction in staff levels from approximately 70 in 2009 to current levels.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any information about the number of UK citizens serving in the international staff of NATO.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The international staff of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation headquarters (NATO HQ) number around 1,200 and of these around 144 are UK citizens. Only Belgium, as NATO HQ's host nation, has a greater number of international staff.

NATO

Lord Robertson of Port Ellen: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated date of completion of the new NATO headquarters building; and what has been the UK contribution to its cost.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The estimated date for the building to be handed over to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is December 2015, where further work will be undertaken to prepare it for national delegations until 2017.
	So far, the UK has contributed £22,627,206, but our total contribution over the lifespan of the project until 2017 will be £95,719,531.
	The UK has been closely monitoring the project and the costs to ensure that best value is obtained.

Overseas Aid

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost to the United Kingdom of its combined gross contributions to the European Union, NATO, the United Nations and overseas aid.

Lord Sassoon: The UK gross contribution to the European Union (EU) Budget, after taking account of the UK abatement, in 2011-12 was £12,184 million. This includes money that scores as UK official development assistance (ODA).
	The UK's financial contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO's) common funded budget in 2011, excluding non-common funded costs such as manpower costs, was £151 million. The UK's contribution to the NATO civil budget in that year was €25 million.
	The UK makes numerous contributions to the many different parts of the United Nations (UN) system and UN-led activities. The UK's contribution to the UN Regular Budget in 2011 was $155.3 million. For further information on the contributions to the UN, including contributions to the UN Peacekeeping Budgets and to other UN programmes, funds and bodies, I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by Mr Henry Bellingham MP, Minister for Africa, on 17 January 2012 (Official Report, Commons; col. 723W].
	Total UK ODA in 2011 is provisionally estimated at £8,570 million, including ODA contributions to multilateral organisations including the United Nations and the European Commission.

Pakistan

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they hold regarding the killing on 4 July of Mr Ghulam Abbas, who was accused of breaking blasphemy laws in Pakistan; and whether they have made representations over the matter.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of media reports of the killing of Mr Ghulam Abbas on 4 July for allegedly breaking the Blasphemy Laws. We are very concerned about the potential for the Blasphemy Laws to be misused against Muslims and religious minorities in Pakistan. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my honourable friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire (Mr Burt), raised the issue of freedom of religion with the Foreign Minister for Pakistan, Hina Rabbani Khar, in February this year.

Pakistan

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the volume and trend of vigilante killings of those accused or suspected of breaking blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) regularly meets non-governmental organisations who monitor the killings related to the Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan. The FCO also summarises the trends on Blasphemy Laws in its annual Human Rights report and quarterly updates to the report. In that report we highlight our concern over the misuse of the Blasphemy Laws against Muslims as well as religious minorities in Pakistan.

Police

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police officers took early retirement in (1) 2010, and (2) 2011, in the police forces of (a) Birmingham, (b) Coventry, (c) Solihull, (d) Wolverhampton, (e) Walsall, (f) Sandwell, and (g) Dudley.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the average number of police officers working in (1) 2009, (2) 2010, and (3) 2011, for the police forces of (a) Birmingham, (b) Coventry, (c) Solihull, (d) Wolverhampton, (e) Walsall, (f) Sandwell, and (g) Dudley.

Lord Henley: The requested information on the number of police officers who took early retirement within Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley is not held centrally by the Home Office. As figures are only collected as at 31 March, it is not possible to provide average numbers. The latest available information (full-time equivalents) on the number of police officers in post as at 31 March 2009 to 2011 for Birmingham, Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley can be seen from the table.
	
		
			 The number of police officers in post as at 31 March 2009 to 2011 within police forces of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.1,2 
			  2009 2010 2011 
			 Birmingham 3,106 3,090 2,312 
			 Coventry 852 826 600 
			 Solihull 389 404 325 
			 Wolverhampton 674 670 508 
			 Walsall 640 639 484 
			 Sandwell 717 720 565 
			 Dudley 555 556 449 
		
	
	1 These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	Figures include those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.
	2 Figures for Birmingham basic command unit for 2010/11 are the sum of Birmingham East, Birmingham North, Birmingham South and Birmingham West & Central.
	Figures for 2008/09 and 2009/10 for Birmingham basic command unit are the sum of West Midlands D1-D3, E1-E3 and F1-F3 basic command units. Figures for Coventry basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands M1-M3 basic command units. Figures for Wolverhampton basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands G1-G2 basic command units. Figures for Dudley basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands J1-J2 basic command units.
	Figures for Sandwell basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands K1-K2 basic command units.
	Figures for Walsall basic command unit for 2008/09 and 2009/10 are the sum of West Midlands H1-H2 basic command units.

Police

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police officers were employed in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 to the last year for which records are available.

Lord Henley: The latest available information shows that the number of police officers employed by Lincolnshire police force (full-time equivalents) in each year, as at 31 March, from 1996 to 2011, were as follows:
	Number of police officers employed in Lincolnshire police force in each year as at 31 March 1996 to 2011.1. 2.
	
		
			 Number of police officers 
			 31-Mar-96 1,145 
			 31-Mar-97 1,196 
			 31-Mar-98 1,191 
			 31-Mar-99 1,140 
			 31-Mar-00 1,115 
			 31-Mar-01 1,202 
			 31-Mar-02 1,198 
			 31-Mar-03 1,236 
			 31-Mar-04 1,241 
			 31-Mar-05 1,234 
			 31-Mar-06 1,236 
			 31-Mar-07 1,243 
			 31-Mar-08 1,201 
			 31-Mar-09 1,229 
			 31-Mar-10 1,206 
			 31-Mar-11 1,202 
		
	
	1. This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Figures prior to 2003 exclude and figures after 2003 include police officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Police: Complaints

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the results of the internal West Midlands police professional standards investigation into complaints that police made up evidence against the Muslim university student Rizwaan Sabir; and whether they are aware of any similar cases.

Lord Henley: This is a matter for West Midlands Police. The Home Office can play no role in police complaints cases beyond that set out in the Police Reform Act 2002.

Police: Stations

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police stations have closed in each police authority over the past three years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many police stations have seen a reduction in opening hours in each police authority over the past three years.

Lord Henley: This information is not collected centrally. Decisions about the most effective use of available resources, including the numbers and operating hours of police stations, are a matter for chief constables and police authorities or police and crime commissioners to take locally.

Public Order Act 1986

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the Home Secretary last met ministerial colleagues to discuss the Government's response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which concluded in January 2012.

Lord Henley: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Public Order Act 1986

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their policy that the removal of the word "insulting" from Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 would result in an enhancement of the public's freedom of expression.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to give their response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which ended in January 2012.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the approximately 2,500 responses to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which ended in January 2012, remain to be (1) opened, or (2) read by a Minister.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the delay in the publication of a response to the public consultation on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, they remain committed to freedom of expression.

Lord Henley: The Government are committed to restoring the right to non-violent protest and to protecting individual freedoms. They are also committed to ensuring that the police have the powers they need to maintain public order and protect communities from hate crime.
	All responses to the consultation have now been read and Ministers are carefully considering all the issues that have been raised. The Government will publish their response in due course.

Raed Salah

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal advice they took before issuing the deportation order for Sheikh Raed Salah.

Lord Henley: The Government do not routinely comment on individual exclusion cases but in this instance the Secretary of State can confirm that a notice of intention to deport was issued against Mr Salah. The Secretary of State cannot comment on legal advice received on this case.

Raed Salah

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Sheikh Raed Salah has been offered or sought compensation for the length of time he was detained on bail in the United Kingdom.

Lord Henley: As a matter of public record Mr Salah did seek, but later withdrew, a claim for compensation for the time he was in immigration detention. He was not paid compensation.

Riots

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their formal response to After the riots: the final report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, published in March 2012.

Baroness Hanham: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government made a Written Ministerial Statement on Friday 13 July, which I repeated in this House on the same day (Official Report col. 168). This was in response to the Riots Communities and Victims Panel's final report. The Statement set out the measures that the Government and other agencies put in place to rebuild communities following the riots. It also set out the action that the Government are taking forward to address some of the more entrenched issues highlighted in the panel's report.

Roads: Street Names and Numbers

Lord Kinnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what powers they have to require (1) domestic and commercial property occupants or owners to display clearly the street numbers of their premises on front entrances, and (2) local authorities to display clearly the names of streets at or near to the entrances of, and exits from, streets and at junctions with other streets; and where those powers exist, what are the relevant provisions in statute.

Baroness Hanham: Issues around the design and location of street names and premises numbering are a matter for local authorities. Local authorities in England and Wales have powers in relation to this under the following statutes: Public Health Act 1925 (Section 19); the Public Health Act 1875 (Section 160, incorporating Sections 64 and 65 of the Towns Improvement Clauses Act 1847) and the London Building Acts (Amendment) Act 1939.
	The Department for Transport publishes guidance for local authorities on this matter in its Circular Roads 3/93 Street Name Plates and the Numbering of Premises. This contains advice on the design and installation of street name plates and reminds local authorities of the continuing need to maintain a good standard of street name plates and property numbering schemes and to improve existing standards where necessary.
	A copy of the circular is being placed in the Library of the House.

Secret Intelligence Service

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reports in the DailyTelegraph of 12 July and Civil Service World that Sir John Sawers has publicly spoken of the role of MI6 contacts in alleged assassinations or cyber-warfare against Iran, whether his remarks were cleared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lord Howell of Guildford: It is the policy of successive UK Governments not to comment on matters of intelligence and national security.

Sudan and South Sudan

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will propose to the United Nations Secretary-General that the United States, Russia and China should be asked to provide evidence from satellite images to confirm or refute South Sudan's claim that Sudan has bombed South Sudanese territory.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The United Nations (UN) Mission in South Sudan investigated the site of the reported bombing on 20 July. Its initial report suggests that a number of bombs were dropped by the Sudanese Air Force within South Sudanese territory. While denying that the attack took place across the border, the Government of Sudan have claimed that their forces attacked fighters from the Sudanese rebel Justice and Equality Movement operating from within South Sudanese territory.
	Any cross-border attacks are a violation of the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 2046, as well as the agreements on peaceful resolution of disputes concluded between the two countries. The UN Security Council will take this into account in determining compliance with Resolution 2046.

Terrorism: Detainees

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many alleged terrorist suspects were detained in the last three years; and how many were convicted.

Lord Henley: The figures requested are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial Year Number of persons detained 
			 2008/2009 123 
			 2009/2010 78 
			 2010/2011 50 
		
	
	Please note the above figures cover the financial year and include those arrested under S41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. We do not hold more up-to-date figures for 2011/2012; these are due to be published in the annual statistical bulletin in September 2012.
	
		
			 Figures for those convicted under terrorism legislation 
			 Financial Year Number of persons convicted 
			 2008/2009 17 
			 2009/2010 4 
			 2010/2011 - 
		
	
	Thirteen individuals were charged in the year 2010/2011, two were not proceeded against, and 11 were awaiting prosecution which is why no figure has been inserted in table above.
	
		
			 Figures for those convicted of offences under non-terrorism legislation but where considered terrorism related 
			 Financial Year Number of persons convicted 
			 2008/2009 8 
			 2009/2010 12 
			 2010/2011 3 
		
	
	The above figures were taken from the last annual statistical bulletin (Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and Subsequent Legislation: Arrests, Outcomes and Stops & Searches) published 13 October 2011 and covers the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011. A link to this publication is provided below:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/counter-terrorisrn-statistics/hosb1511 /hosbl 511?view=Binary

Universal Credit

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 17 July (WA 48) on universal credit, how they are going to ensure claimants' documents used to verify information are delivered safely by post, and at whose expense this will be undertaken.

Lord Freud: Universal credit will be a predominantly digital service, however there remains a need for physical evidence to be verified and in some circumstances that will be done by post. Our current thinking is to provide claimants with a secure freepost address to send in requested evidence.

Visas

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many student visas were issued for students from overseas in the last 12 months; what was the revenue generated from them; and how that sum compares with the revenue generated in the previous three years.

Lord Henley: The number of student visas granted and the revenue generated through student visa applications over the last four years is as follows:
	
		
			 PBS Tier 4/Student visas 
			  2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 
			 Income £34,437,905 £65,059,411 £77,911,191 £70,761,463 
			 Visas issued 235,613 313,314 295,073 226,052 
		
	
	Please note that the income figure for F/Y 2011/12 is based on management information, ahead of formal publication of the UKBA's statement of accounts.
	Figures relate to PBS tier 4 student applications and equivalent categories pre-PBS. "Student visit" visas have not been included as income from that endorsement category is not disaggregated from other short-term visitor categories.

Visas

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have been granted visas to enter the United Kingdom to attend the 2012 Olympic Games as (1) participants, (2) media personnel, (3) spectators, and (4) others.

Lord Henley: Where an individual has received accreditation to participate in the Olympics, the requirement for a visa is waived. Up to the end of March 2012, 2,043 visas were issued under the visa endorsement "Visit-Olympic/Paralympic family". It is not possible to identify from visa statistics those who are visiting the Olympic Games under categories (2), (3) and (4) as this would require the examination of individual records, which would incur disproportionate costs.

Visas

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many post-study work visa applications remained undecided at the end of (1) 2009, (2) 2010, (3) 2011, and (4) at present.

Lord Henley: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports. However, the UK Border Agency publishes statistics on a quarterly and annual basis that cover granted post-study work visa applications. Published statistics regarding post-study work visa applications can be found in the Library of the House and following this link: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration ql-2012/.

Visas: Fishing Fleets

Baroness Butler-Sloss: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many transit visas were granted in 2011 to individuals going to work for British-owned fishing fleets.

Lord Henley: We do not routinely collate data on individuals going to work on British-owned fishing fleets. To obtain this information would require the examination of individual records, and incur disproportionate costs.

Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many doctors, nurses, and managers have been referred to (1) the police, (2) the General Medical Council, or (3) the Nursing and Midwifery Council following the Care Quality Commission's recent individual inspection reports into providers offering abortion services.

Earl Howe: The department understands that, as a result of the recent Care Quality Commission's inspections, a number of health professionals were referred to the police and their professional regulator for investigation because of evidence uncovered.
	The health regulators (including the General Medical Council as the regulator for doctors and the Nursing and Midwifery Council as the regulator for nurses and midwives) are statutory bodies and have powers to investigate where complaints are made to them that the fitness to practise of professionals is in question.
	As the health regulators are independent bodies, and as investigations are ongoing, the department is unable to comment further at the present time.

Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the outcomes of investigations by (1) the police, (2) the General Medical Council, and (3) the Nursing and Midwifery Council, following the Care Quality Commission's recent individual inspection reports into providers offering abortion services.

Earl Howe: The department is aware that relevant police forces, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council, are pursuing investigations into allegations of pre-signing of abortion HSA1 forms. Investigations are continuing and we still await a decision on whether any prosecutions will be brought.

Abortion

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessments were made of whether abortions took place legally or illegally in the Care Quality Commission's individual inspection reports into providers offering abortion services; and what plans the Care Quality Commission has to monitor improvements by abortion providers in their compliance with the Abortion Act 1967.

Earl Howe: It is for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to prosecute individuals and for the courts to determine whether there has been a breach of the law on abortion. Following its recent inspections, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) is working with 14 National Health Service hospitals and has required that all trusts put in place "compliance actions". These require providers to demonstrably improve their practices to ensure compliance with requirements; all 14 providers have now taken steps to ensure compliance. Officials will work with a number of bodies including the CQC and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to address the findings from these inspections.

Armed Forces: Aircraft

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Military Aviation Authority report of the Fleet Air Arm (Military Aviation Authority-Headquarters Chief of Staff (Aviation and Carriers) Assurance Visit Report) will be made publicly available on the Ministry of Defence website; and what grading the Fleet Air Arm received.

Lord Astor of Hever: There are no plans to make the Military Aviation Authority Assurance visit report on Headquarters Chief of Staff (Aviation and Carriers) publicly available. On the evidence of the report, the Director General of the Military Aviation Authority determined a green grading was appropriate, indicating no significant weaknesses.

Armed Forces: Aircrew

Lord Trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will arrange for medical statistics relating to aircrew serving in the Armed Forces to be made available to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Lord Astor of Hever: Currently the Ministry of Defence does not routinely release medical statistics to the Civil Aviation Authority. However, in the interest of promoting flight safety, the MoD and Civil Aviation Authority have regular communication on topics of shared interest, including medical matters. If a specific request were received from the Civil Aviation Authority for medical statistics, then, within the requirements of the Data Protection Act, Human Rights Act and Freedom of Information Act, data would be made available in an anonymous and non-identifiable format.

Atos Healthcare

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each of the past five years, how many and what proportion of Employment Support Allowance claimants have been found fit for work after assessment by Atos Healthcare assessors; how many and what proportion of those claimants have appealed; and how many and what proportion of appeals have been allowed.

Lord Freud: The department regularly publishes official statistics on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The latest publication was released on 24 July 2012 and can be found on the departmental website here: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca.
	Table 1a in the publication gives the outcomes (including fit for work decisions) of all new claims to ESA received since its introduction in October 2008. The table gives this information for all claims received across the whole of Great Britain.
	Table 3 in the publication gives the number of appeals against fit for work decisions in Great Britain and their outcomes.

Broadband: 4G Mobile

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what evidence they have concluded that a fee of £50 plus VAT would be sufficient to enable a registered digital installer to install the necessary filter to protect television services against interference from 4G mobile services in homes with signal-boosting amplifiers.

Lord Newby: The figure of £50+VAT for the installation of a filter to a rooftop antenna with a masthead amplifier was arrived at as a result of discussions with representatives of the aerial installer industry.

Broadcasting: Digital Switchover

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the proportion of households in the United Kingdom that will have amplifiers to boost digital television signals following the conclusion of digital switchover; and what is their estimate of what this figure is as a proportion of the total number of households receiving digital television on their main set through the digital terrestrial platform.

Lord Newby: The figure contained in Ofcorn consultation on the number of amplifiers in customer homes was derived from information supplied by the industry. However, the vast majority of this equipment was fitted before digital switchover, when the transmit power of the digital signal was much lower than now. It is not possible to estimate what proportion of this equipment is still in use and what proportion has been removed or disconnected.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Burma on the formation of a joint domestic and international board with the involvement of the United Kingdom to investigate the number of political prisoners in Burma.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We continue to press the Burmese Government on a regular basis to release all remaining political prisoners. This issue was raised most recently in a meeting between our ambassador and the Burmese Attorney-General in Naypyidaw on 23 July 2012.
	In line with the recommendations of UN Special Representative for Human Rights Quintana, we raised with the Government the possibility of establishing an independent investigative mechanism to look into remaining cases. We have not made specific representations regarding the make-up of such a body. We continue to meet with local and international human rights groups, civil society organisations and released political prisoners in Burma to discuss this matter.

Burma

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Government of Burma about allowing recently released political activists to be given passports.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Officials from our embassy have made representations on several occasions to Burmese Government Ministers, most recently on 27 July, about issuing passports for released political prisoners. We will continue to raise this matter until the situation is addressed. The European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, also raised the matter with President Thein Sein during her recent visit.

Burma

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether staff of the Department for International Development have been able to visit Maungdaw in Rhakhine State, Burma.

Baroness Northover: No staff from DfID have been able to visit Maungdaw in Rhakhine State. DfID monitors the situation through its links with the United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and through the regular UN OCHA Situation Reports.

Burma

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many representations the Department for International Development has received in 2012 to date for increased funding for refugees from and displaced persons in Burma.

Baroness Northover: To date, in 2012, DfID has received 15 letters regarding increased funding for refugees and displaced persons in Burma. Most of these refer to Early Day Motion (EDM) 2719 which calls on the Government to increase aid to populations displaced by conflict in Burma. EDM 2719, tabled in 2012, has 66 signatures. DfID has received a number of parliamentary Questions in 2012 relating to funding for refugees from and displaced persons in Burma: two of these ask specifically about increases in funding; details are available in the parliamentary archives. DfID Ministers and staff have met a range of people with a specific interest in our work for refugees from and displaced persons in Burma this year. The question of increased funding is sometimes raised in these meetings, although it is not possible to say exactly in how many of them.

Burma

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to women's empowerment projects in Burma; and which specific women's organisations in Burma receive British aid.

Baroness Northover: In Burma, UK aid supports the empowerment of women and girls in all of its programmes and partnerships. Through UK aid in Burma, by 2015, 110,000 women will have more access to financial services, 113,000 more girls will be helped to access and complete primary education, and at least 549,000 women will participate in cash for work activities. DfID's Burma programme provides support to the following women's organisations: the Gender Equality Network, which includes more than 30 women's organisations; the Gender and Development Initiative; and the Shan Women's Action Network.

Children: International Law and Rights

Lord Stone of Blackheath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what work they have undertaken in the past 10 years to conduct evaluative analyses of law and practice as they affect children in countries or regions around the world by reference to the standards of international law and international children's rights.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are fully committed to children's rights and to improving the situation of children worldwide. Our embassies and high commissions continue to monitor and raise human rights, including children's rights, in their host countries against those countries' commitments to international standards. The UK also makes specific human rights recommendations, including on children's issues, to countries through the United Nations universal periodic review process.
	We have also given support and funding to the work of international institutions tasked with improving the situation of children, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for children in armed conflict, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and the UN Secretary-General's study on violence against children.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's annual Human Rights and Democracy report includes a focus on children's rights and children in armed conflict globally, and on the situation of children in a number of countries of concern including Afghanistan, Burma, Vietnam and Somalia.

Children: Looked-after Children

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the latest year for which data are available, what percentage of looked-after children in each local authority in England attended a school graded (1) outstanding, (2) good, or (3) satisfactory, by Ofsted in their most recent inspection report.

Lord Newby: The percentages of looked after children in each local authority in England that attended a school graded outstanding, good or satisfactory in their most recent inspection report are given below. The figures relate to children who are looked after by local authorities at 31 March 2011, and to Ofsted inspection carried out before that date.
	Table LA1: Percentage of looked after children attending schools that have been judged by Ofsted to be outstanding, good, satisfactory or poor1
	Year: 2011
	Coverage: England
	
		
			  Number of school aged children looked after at 31 March 20112 Number of looked after children for whom school attended and Ofsted judgment is known 3 Percentage of looked after children with an Ofsted judgement before 31 March 2011 of:4 
			Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate 
			 ENGLAND 29640 24900 18 46 33 4 
			 NORTH EAST 1690 1500 18 48 32 2 
			 Darlington 75 65 27 45 27 0 
			 Durham 240 215 13 54 33 x 
			 Gateshead 140 130 27 50 20 x 
			 Hartlepool 80 75 18 51 31 0 
			 Middlesbrough 140 125 22 46 32 0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 270 240 20 33 42 4 
			 North Tyneside 115 110 24 54 23 0 
			 Northumberland 140 110 16 50 31 x 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 70 55 X 57 35 0 
			 South Tyneside 130 115 13 41 41 5 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 115 100 23 40 36 x 
			 Sunderland 180 165 11 60 26 x 
			 NORTH WEST 5460 4660 20 50 28 2 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 165 150 10 65 23 x 
			 Blackpool 170 155 16 37 46 x 
			 Bolton 235 205 11 56 34 0 
			 Bury 125 105 9 71 19 x 
			 Cheshire East 215 180 26 46 25 x 
			 Cheshire West and   
			 Chester 175 140 21 53 25 x 
			 Cumbria 250 215 19 42 38 x 
			 Halton 55 50 47 29 22 x 
			 Knowsley 160 135 17 53 28 x 
			 Lancashire 625 560 17 49 31 3 
			 Liverpool 495 425 21 56 23 x 
			 Manchester 675 550 19 43 36 2 
			 Oldham 165 120 16 60 24 0 
			 Rochdale 200 170 18 61 19 x 
			 Salford 255 215 16 54 25 5 
			 Sefton 200 185 42 42 16 0 
			 St. Helens 190 160 24 47 26 x 
			 Stockport 130 115 15 61 21 x 
			 Tameside 170 145 14 52 30 x 
			 Trafford 130 100 41 41 14 x 
			 Warrington 110 100 26 38 36 x 
			 Wigan 220 195 25 44 27 4 
			 Wirral 340 290 28 49 23 0 
			 YORKSHIRE AND THE   
			 HUMBER 3340 2880 12 43 39 6 
			 Barnsley 110 95 6 48 25 21 
			 Bradford 450 370 11 37 47 5 
			 Calderdale 125 110 26 44 26 x 
			 Doncaster 200 155 13 38 41 7 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 135 115 8 34 51 7 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 265 245 5 40 48 7 
			 Kirklees 265 235 12 44 39 4 
			 Leeds 700 620 10 47 36 7 
			 North East Lincolnshire 55 40 23 38 36 x 
			 North Lincolnshire 75 65 X 66 27 x 
			 North Yorkshire 220 195 13 53 31 3 
			 Rotherham 190 165 22 36 36 5 
			 Sheffield 255 215 15 41 41 4 
			 Wakefield 170 145 16 48 31 5 
			 York 120 110 12 46 39 x 
			 EAST MIDLANDS 1900 1590 16 42 38 4 
			 Derby 225 185 18 43 33 5 
			 Derbyshire 280 240 9 47 41 3 
			 Leicester 220 200 20 42 35 x 
			 Leicestershire 150 135 19 43 36 x 
			 Lincolnshire 245 205 12 48 39 x 
			 Northamptonshire 300 235 22 27 47 5 
			 Nottingham 205 160 19 45 33 x 
			 Nottinghamshire 265 220 13 40 36 10 
			 Rutland 15 10 X 55 x 0 
			 WEST MIDLANDS 3950 3380 14 46 36 4 
			 Birmingham 975 870 14 44 39 3 
			 Coventry 300 255 12 50 35 3 
			 Dudley 335 300 12 50 34 4 
			 Herefordshire 80 55 32 44 23 x 
			 Sandwell 275 230 15 45 36 4 
			 Shropshire 90 70 38 38 25 0 
			 Solihull 175 150 14 39 44 4 
			 Staffordshire 375 320 7 48 42 3 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 185 150 11 54 36 0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 140 110 23 29 48 0 
			 Walsall 245 210 12 43 38 8 
			 Warwickshire 300 250 17 51 30 x 
			 Wolverhampton 195 165 16 51 26 7 
			 Worcestershire 280 240 12 46 32 10 
			 EAST OF ENGLAND 2960 2460 16 46 33 5 
			 Bedford Borough 65 50 13 50 29 x 
			 Central Bedfordshire 70 65 19 56 24 x 
			 Cambridgeshire 230 190 15 38 44 3 
			 Essex 725 605 14 47 35 4 
			 Hertfordshire 485 410 22 39 36 3 
			 Luton 190 160 22 47 28 x 
			 Norfolk 470 375 9 51 31 9 
			 Peterborough 150 120 11 52 34 x 
			 Southend-on-Sea 125 115 10 54 29 6 
			 Suffolk 360 305 19 47 29 6 
			 Thurrock 85 70 28 36 33 x 
			 LONDON 4500 3530 23 44 30 3 
			 INNER LONDON 2070 1620 24 46 27 3 
			 Camden 110 80 24 55 21 0 
			 City of London x x 0 0 x 0 
			 Hackney 135 95 30 50 19 x 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 100 75 30 51 18 x 
			 Haringey 255 195 19 41 36 4 
			 Islington 135 115 22 55 22 x 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 55 50 16 59 22 x 
			 Lambeth 225 175 20 48 29 x 
			 Lewisham 235 200 21 43 29 7 
			 Newham 245 190 21 47 30 x 
			 Southwark 215 150 22 45 28 6 
			 Tower Hamlets 145 125 37 37 25 x 
			 Wandsworth 100 90 25 38 34 x 
			 Westminster 110 80 31 42 23 x 
			 OUTER LONDON 2440 1910 22 43 32 3 
			 Barking and Dagenham 160 120 19 39 40 x 
			 Barnet 155 125 23 48 28 x 
			 Bexley 90 70 X 38 51 x 
			 Brent 160 120 23 50 25 x 
			 Bromley 130 100 23 45 29 x 
			 Croydon 320 230 22 37 35 6 
			 Ealing 165 130 28 45 26 x 
			 Enfield 130 95 17 48 34 x 
			 Greenwich 250 210 12 44 40 4 
			 Harrow 45 30 45 42 x 0 
			 Havering 80 65 14 51 30 x 
			 Hillingdon 175 140 28 33 36 x 
			 Hounslow 160 125 27 40 30 x 
			 Kingston upon Thames 50 45 24 47 24 x 
			 Merton 40 35 20 43 31 x 
			 Redbridge 80 70 33 35 21 11 
			 Richmond upon Thames 40 35 24 42 33 0 
			 Sutton 60 50 14 55 31 0 
			 Waltham Forest 140 115 23 44 32 x 
			 SOUTH EAST 3560 2970 19 43 34 3 
			 Bracknell Forest 35 30 X 54 25 x 
			 Brighton and Hove 180 145 24 38 34 x 
			 Buckinghamshire 155 125 21 32 44 x 
			 East Sussex 255 230 18 48 31 4 
			 Hampshire 540 475 19 40 37 4 
			 Isle of Wight 85 75 20 45 35 0 
			 Kent 650 530 9 46 41 3 
			 Medway 140 100 X 48 41 8 
			 Milton Keynes 115 90 30 34 32 x 
			 Oxfordshire 180 150 23 42 34 x 
			 Portsmouth 135 125 14 45 36 5 
			 Reading 80 70 26 51 22 0 
			 Slough 75 55 33 41 20 x 
			 Southampton 160 145 19 40 36 6 
			 Surrey 310 265 27 43 26 4 
			 West Berkshire 50 45 26 58 16 0 
			 West Sussex 330 255 24 44 32 x 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 50 35 X 56 25 x 
			 Wokingham 30 30 X 64 x 0 
			 SOUTH WEST 2280 1930 21 48 28 4 
			 Bath and North East   
			 Somerset 75 60 18 60 20 x 
			 Bournemouth 85 65 19 49 30 x 
			 Bristol, City of 335 280 15 40 40 5 
			 Cornwall 215 190 23 50 26 x 
			 Devon 255 215 16 56 23 4 
			 Dorset 130 115 33 50 14 x 
			 Gloucestershire 200 170 22 43 27 8 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0  .   
			 North Somerset 105 95 14 56 27 x 
			 Plymouth 180 150 31 46 21 x 
			 Poole 70 60 24 39 18 19 
			 Somerset 175 135 15 46 38 x 
			 South Gloucestershire 70 50 33 29 35 x 
			 Swindon 120 110 12 62 27 0 
			 Torbay 100 95 24 49 19 7 
			 Wiltshire 175 150 27 39 31 x 
		
	
	1 Children looked after continuously for at least twelve months as at 31 March excluding those children in respite care.
	2 The number of children aged 5 to 15 looked after continuously for at least 12 months at 31 March 2011, including those for whom it was not possible to identify the school attended.
	3 The number of children for whom it has been possible to identify the school attended and the outcome of the most recent Ofsted inspection before 31 March 2011. It is not always possible to identify which school a child attends, perhaps because a Unique Pupil Number has not been provided to enable a successful match. Similarly, it has not been possible to match an Ofsted report to 2600 children. The majority of these children (2170) attend schools converting to academy status and it is likely that they had not been inspected in the period before March 2011 because they would not be due for inspection until the new school had reached a steady state.
	4 Percentages are based on the number of children for who it has been possible to identify the school attended and the outcome of the most recent Ofsted inspection before 31 March 2011.
	National and Regional figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Local Authority figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. x = number less than or equal to 5, or percentage where the numerator is less than or equal to 5 or the denominator is less than or equal to 10 which have been suppressed to protect confidentiality.
	. = not applicable.

Children: Offences against Children

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many offences against children were committed in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up until the last year for which records are available.

Lord Henley: It is not possible to identify the total number of offences committed against children from the police recorded crime data collected by the Home Office.
	In general, the age of the victim cannot be identified from the police recorded crime data and whether the victim of a crime was a child can only be determined by the definition of specific individual offence classifications. The available data for those offences are given in the table.
	
		
			 Specific offences against children recorded by the police in Lincolnshire 
			 Year Infanticide Cruelty to and neglect of children Abandoning child under two years Child abduction Sexual assault on a male child under 13 Rape of a female child under 16 Rape of a female child under 13 Rape of a male child under 16 
			 1996 .. .. 0 3 .. .. .. .. 
			 1997 1 .. .. 0 2 .. .. .. .. 
			 1998/99 .. 24 1 6 .. .. .. .. 
			 1999/00 .. 13 1 2 .. .. .. .. 
			 2000/01 .. 16 1 1 .. .. .. .. 
			 2001/02 2 .. 13 0 1 .. .. .. .. 
			 2002/03 0 23 0 5 .. .. .. .. 
			 2003/04 0 28 0 8 .. .. .. .. 
			 2004/053 0 28 0 17 17 57 21 5 
			 2005/06 0 16 1 6 25 43 14 4 
			 2006/07 0 19 1 5 15 41 10 1 
			 2007/08 0 20 1 10 14 43 20 2 
			 2008/09 0 37 1 7 10 39 18 1 
			 2009/10 0 36 1 11 16 37 25 2 
			 2010/11 0 30 0 18 0 28 40 4 
			 2011/12 1 31 1 5 0 28 34 3 
		
	
	
		
			 Year Rape of a male child under 13 Sexual assault on a female child under 13 Unlawful sexual intercourse / Sexual activity involving a child under 13 Unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 Sexual activity involving child under 16 Abuse of children through prostitution and pornography Gross indecency with a child 
			 1996 .. .. 3 27 .. .. 11 
			 1997 1 .. .. 2 26 .. .. 11 
			 1998/99 .. .. 4 25 .. .. 27 
			 1999/00 .. .. 2 20 .. .. 14 
			 2000/01 .. .. 1 8 .. .. 19 
			 2001/02 2 .. .. 3 21 .. .. 23 
			 2002/03 .. .. 5 25 .. .. 32 
			 2003/04 .. .. 0 24 .. .. 21 
			 2004/05 3 1 78 11 7 60 1 9 
			 2005/06 7 80 33 0 43 1 6 
			 2006/07 5 72 17 1 34 2 6 
			 2007/08 2 61 27 0 39 7 10 
			 2008/09 9 47 35 0 47 5 5 
			 2009/10 7 41 37 .. 55 0 .. 
			 2010/11 7 28 50 .. 82 1 .. 
			 2011/12 10 59 24 .. 35 9 .. 
		
	
	1 The police recorded crime coverage was extended and the counting rules changed in 1998/99. Data before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	2 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced nationally in 2002/03 and police recorded crime figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	3 The Sexual Offences Act 2002, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. For some offences it took time for these changes to bed in.

China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about the Tibetan monk, Lobsang Lozin, who self-immolated at Tsodun Kirti monastery in Tibet; and what representations they have made to the Government of China about the immolation of Tibetan monks.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of reports that on 17 July, Lobsang Lozin, an 18 year-old monk from the Gedhen Tashi Choeling Kirti monastery in Barkham, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, self-immolated outside the assembly hall of his monastery. Chinese state media has not confirmed reports that he has died.
	We have been robust in raising our concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet with the Chinese Government, in particular the large number of self-immolations that have occurred in Tibetan areas since March last year. We are deeply concerned about the immolations and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) set out our concerns most recently in Parliament on 20 June.
	In common with its international partners, the UK has raised our concerns with the Chinese authorities. We urge them to lift restrictions on access to Tibetan areas imposed on foreigners, including diplomats and international media. We call upon all parties to engage in substantive dialogue to address Tibetan concerns and relieve tension. We believe a long-term solution depends on respect for human rights and genuine autonomy for Tibetans within the framework of the Chinese constitution.

China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions they have drawn about the right to freedom of religious belief in China from the cases of Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, Bishop Su Zhimin and Bishop Shi Enxiang.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We have serious concerns about freedom of religion in China, including government restrictions on religious organisations and the treatment of individuals associated with these groups including these cases.
	The prohibition of some religious groups, and the legal restrictions and harassment aimed at others, undermines freedom of religious belief in China, a point officials raised with the Chinese delegation at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2012. We have repeatedly made clear that such actions are not consistent with Article 18 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, nor indeed with Article 36 of the People's Republic of China's Constitution.
	We are concerned by the cases of Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daquin, Bishop Su Zhimin and Bishop Shi Enxiang and will continue to seek opportunities to raise our concerns about individual cases and on issues relating to freedom of religious belief with the Chinese Government.

Cities: Economic Development

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, for each of the recently announced City Deals, how much of the resources allocated will be provided by way of government grant and how much by permitted borrowing by the relevant local authorities.

Baroness Hanham: City Deals are bespoke agreements in which the Government agreed to proposals initiated by individual cities. They are not about the allocation of government grant but the devolution of powers to cities.

Commonwealth

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the Commonwealth Secretariat plays a significant role in the co-ordination of member countries' policies within the United Nations and other international organisations, including on human rights, global finance, trade, environment and climate change, arms control, the arms trade, non-proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, food security, education, migration and refugees.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK is committed to ensuring that the Commonwealth realises its potential fully and maximises its impact for the benefit of all member states. We welcomed the series of reforms recommended by the Eminent Persons Group at the last Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth. Amongst these, we supported a recommendation that the Commonwealth Secretariat should strengthen its strategic partnerships with the United Nations and other international organisations, and advocacy on behalf of its members within these organisations on areas of particular relevance to Commonwealth states. It is also positive that the initial discussion paper on the secretariat's new strategic plan for 2013-16 referred to a strengthening of such strategic partnerships. We look forward to engaging with Commonwealth Foreign Ministers in New York in September 2012 to conclude the modernisation agenda which was discussed by heads in Perth.

Crime: Burglary

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many burglary offences were committed in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up until the last year for which records are available.

Lord Henley: The available information relates to burglary offences recorded by the police in Lincolnshire and is given in the table.
	
		
			 Burglary offences recorded by the police in Lincolnshire 
			 Year Number of offences 
			 1996 12,819 
			 1997 10,5511 1 
			 1998/99 10,257 
			 1999/00 10,719 
			 2000/01 9,583 
			 2001/02 9,592 2 
			 2002/03 10,831 
			 2003/04 9,052 
			 2004/05 7,306 
			 2005/06 7,145 
			 2006;07 6,601 
			 2007/08 5,751 
			 2008/09 6,300 
			 2009/10 5,820 
			 2010/11 6,390 
			 2011/12 6,222 
		
	
	1 The police recorded crime coverage was extended and the counting rules changed in 1998/99. Data before and after that date are not directly comparable.
	2 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced nationally in 2002/03 and police recorded crime figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Crime: Drugs and Alcohol

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) arrests, and (2) detentions, for drug and alcohol-related crimes involved Asian girls and young women in each of the last two years.

Lord Henley: The level of information requested is not collected centrally. Arrests and detentions data supplied to the Home Office by police forces cannot be broken down to show whether offences were alcohol or drug-related.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much criminal injuries compensation has been awarded to victims in each year from 1996 up until the last year for which records are available in each of the 43 police force areas in England and Wales.

Lord Newby: I have placed the information in the House of Lords Library. The figures given reflect awards paid under the tariff schemes first introduced in 1996.

Cuba

Lord Alderdice: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statements of the family and supporters of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas that the Government of Cuba were responsible for his recent death, the death of his party colleague Harold Cepero, and the injury of two foreign politicians, Angel Carromero from Spain and Jens Aron Modig from Sweden.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are aware of the comments made by the family of Oswaldo Paya Sardinas and supporters regarding the nature of his death. Our embassy in Havana is monitoring the situation closely in conjunction with European Union partners and will continue to do so. The embassy has also been in contact with Mr Paya's family to offer our condolences and a member of the embassy's staff attended the wake. The Minister of State, my honourable friend the Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), also issued a statement of condolence on 24th July.

Cybercrime

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what resources they have allocated to protect the United Kingdom from the effects of cyber attacks on the United Kingdom's defence capability.

Lord Astor of Hever: As we set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, we attach a high priority to the cyberdefence of our systems. Our forces depend on computer networks, both in the UK and on operations around the world, but our adversaries present an advanced and rapidly developing threat to these networks.
	This is reflected in the establishment of the Global Operations Security Control Centre to co-ordinate cyberdefence of our systems. In addition to this, the Defence Cyber Security Programme (DCSP) aims to mainstream cybersecurity throughout the Ministry of Defence and ensure the coherent integration of cyberactivities across the spectrum of defence operations. The DCSP is funded as part of the Cabinet Office's National Cyber Security Programme, and will run from 2011-2015 with an allocation of £90 million of new money.
	We are also making significant investments into new cybercapabilities from the core defence budget, including a further £30 million of additional funding.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the UK's bilateral aid, and what proportion of the total aid programmes of Western nations to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is being used for security sector reform.

Baroness Northover: For the purposes of this response, security sector reform (SSR) has been defined as police and army and the justice system reform. 10% of the UK's £145 million bilateral aid programme budget for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this year is allocated to police reform. In addition, the UK also supports security sector reform (SSR) in DRC through the conflict pool (CP). Of the £1.6 million spent on SSR activities last year through the CP, only £400,000 was official overseas development assistance (ODA).
	Unfortunately, accurate information about the proportion of aid from Western nations dedicated to SSR is not available. The two largest donors operating in the sector are the European Union (EU) and the USA. The EU also has two SSR missions, EUSEC and EUPOL, in DRC estimated €20.6 million this year. About 10% (€59 million) of the EU's budget for programming in DRC from the Development Fund and Stability instruments is directed at SSR. The USA budget for SSR in 2012 is approximately US$26.5 million. (This does not include US Department of Defence funding).

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) troops are based in the Eastern Congo; what discussions they have had with their commanders; and what assistance they are giving them in apprehending Bosco Ntaganda and bringing him before the International Criminal Court.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has 17,041 troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of which we understand 15,300 are currently located in the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu and Orientale. Our embassy in Kinshasa has regular contact with MONUSCO commanders. Their overall priority is the protection of civilians, with wider security sector reform a key element. It is the responsibility of Congolese authorities to apprehend alleged war criminals on its territory, including International Criminal Court-indicted Bosco Ntaganda. MONUSCO, in line with its mandate, stands ready to support action by the Congolese authorities.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the African Union's proposal to send an international force to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo to neutralise the M23 Rebels.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are pleased to note the engagement shown by members of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region during their meeting in Addis Ababa on 11 July, in the margins of the African Union summit. We look forward to hearing in more detail how they plan to take forward their proposal to deploy a force to the border region in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Diego Garcia

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Howell of Guildford on 13 July (HL Deb, col. 1401), what advice they have received on the legal position on the use by the United States of the British Indian Ocean Territory of Diego Garcia in the case of military action by Israel or the United States against Iran.

Lord Howell of Guildford: I do not wish to speculate on hypothetical scenarios. The UK's policy on the use of Diego Garcia by the United States (US) is based on the 1966 exchange of notes (updated in 1976 and with subsequent amendments and additions). The notes allow the US to use the base as a forward operating location for aircraft and ships and require the US to seek prior approval for any operations that they wish to undertake from Diego Garcia.

Drugs

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the role of zero-tolerance and abstinence-based treatment in the United Kingdom's drug policy.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding is available for zero-tolerance drugs policies and abstinence-based treatment in the National Health Service.

Earl Howe: The Government's drug strategy that we published in 2010 sets out how we will help people recover from dependence on drugs and alcohol. In 2012-13 the department allocated £466.7 million to primary care trusts through the pooled treatment budget. Local areas are responsible for using this money to commission the drug treatment services appropriate to the needs of their population. The 2007 United Kingdom guidelines on clinical management of drug misuse and dependence provide advice on when psychosocial interventions should be delivered without concurrent pharmacological interventions.

Drugs

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of how many girls below the age of 21 are dependent on drugs, according to ethnic origin.

Earl Howe: Information on the number of young people who are dependent on drugs is not collected. Among the small number of young people whose use of drugs is a problem, most have not been using drugs for long enough to become dependent in the way adults can. Further information about substance misuse among young people and its treatment is available at: www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/yp20ll/commentaryfinal.pdf

Education: Special Educational Needs and Disability

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any meetings have been held between Ministers of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and of the Department for Education to discuss proposed changes to the education of children and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities; and whether a group of officials from both departments has been established to oversee the likely impact of the proposals on young people aged between 16 and 25.

Lord Newby: The Government are committed to improving arrangements for children and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities, so that they have the best chance to be healthy, succeed in education, and progress towards independence and employment.
	The Minister of State for Children and Families is responsible for education policy and delivery with respect to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities up to age 18, and for 19 to 25 year-olds with a statutory Learning Difficulty Assessment in place.
	Officials from the Department for Education hold regular discussions with Ministers and officials from other government departments about the proposals in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Green Paper, including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Children's Minister has also spoken to the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning on several occasions to discuss shared policy interests in this area, including hosting a joint round-table event with college principals and the Association of Colleges to discuss our proposals for young people.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 December 2008 (WA 8-9), how many human embryos were created in each year since the commencement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; what is the latest cumulative number; and how many of those have resulted in live births.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 December 2008 (WA 8-9), how many animal-human hybrid embryos have been created since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that the Written Answer provided by Lord Darzi of Denham on 11 December 2008 (Official Report, cols. WA 8-9), referred to by the noble Lord, provides the number of embryos created from the commencement of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 until 2007. Figures for the number of embryos created during 2008, 2009, 2010 and the first half of 2011 are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Year Embryos created 
			 2008 219,183 
			 2009 238,658 
			 2010 254,055 
			 Jan - Jun 2011 132,589 
		
	
	The HFEA has advised that the number of live births following In vitro fertilisation treatment in each year to 2009 is publicly available in the dataset published alongside the HFEA report Latest UK fertility treatment data and figures: 2009-10. The dataset and report can be found on the HFEA website at: www.hfea.gov.uk. Since the report's publication, a further six months' worth of data has been verified, in line with the HFEA verification schedule, and figures for the first half of 2010 are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Year Number of Babies Born 
			 Jan - Jun 2010 8,172 
		
	
	The HFEA has also advised that according to information submitted to the authority by licensed research centres, no human admixed embryos have been created under a HFEA-licensed research project since 1 October 2009.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with Local Enterprise Partnership leaders in the development and promotion of the Youth Contract.

Lord Freud: The department carried out an extensive consultation with a significant number of employers about the design and delivery of the new wage incentive. This included engagement with large and smaller employers, employer representative bodies and Work Programme providers. While we did not specifically consult with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in this instance, the department is keen to work with LEPs to ensure that skills and tackling worklessness are priorities, to support more effective approaches to help people to improve their chances of finding work, making the link between growth, unemployment and social exclusion.

Energy: Electricity

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the average costs without subsidies used for planning purposes per megawatt hour of electricity generated from (1) existing, and (2) new, (a) nuclear power stations, (b) onshore wind farms, (c) offshore wind farms, (d) gas-fired power stations, (e) coal-fired power stations, and (f) bio-mass fired power stations.

Lord Newby: DECC has published estimates of the future costs of various generation technologies on the DECC website. The most recent estimates can be found in the reports highlighted below:
	Annex D of the 'Government response to the consultation on proposals for the levels of banded support under the Renewables Obligation for the period 2013-17 and the Renewables Obligation Order 2012' contains the latest levelised cost estimates for selected renewable technologies: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/ro¬banding/5936-renewables-obligation-consultation-the-government.pdf;a report by Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) (2011) contains the latest levelised cost estimates for selected non-renewable technologies: www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/about us/economics-social-research/2127-electricity-generation-cost-model-2011.pdf.
	For ease of reference, Table I below replicates levelised cost estimates for projects starting in 2011 and 2017 for selected technologies using a simplified assumption of 10% discount rate across technologies to aid high level comparison between technologies.
	Table 1: Indicative Levelised Cost Estimates for Selected Electricity Generation Technologies
	
		
			 2010 prices Source Projects starting in 2011, £/MWh Projects starting in 2017, £/MWh 
			 CCGT PB Power (2011) 77 88 
			 Coal 95 117 
			 Nuclear 74 65 
			 Onshore Wind>5 MW* RO Banding Review Government response (2012) 101 98 
			 Offshore R2 Wind 126 115 
			 Offshore R3 146 130 
			 Dedicated Biomass >50MW 118 117 
			 Dedicated Biomass (0-50MW) 113 112 
		
	
	NB: All estimates are for 'Nth of a Kind' (NOAK) projects except nuclear where the first estimate for projects starting in 2011 is based on 'first of a kind' estimate and the estimate for projects starting in 2017 is based on a 'nth of a kind' estimate. *The estimate for onshore wind is for England and Wales only. Cost estimates for RO Banding review (2012) are in £2010/11 financial year prices.
	These levelised costs estimates are highly sensitive to the assumptions used including those on discount rates (for simplicity the table above uses the same discount rate for all technologies as opposed to technology specific discount rates), capital costs, fuel and EU ETS allowance prices, operating costs, and load factor. It should be noted that the estimates shown above are indicative estimates of levelised costs and given the uncertainties it is often more appropriate to consider a range of cost estimates.
	DECC does not have estimates for the average costs per megawatt hour of electricity generated from existing stations.

Energy: Light Bulbs

Baroness Browning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has received from organisations representing people with medical conditions that may be adversely affected by low energy light bulbs.

Lord Newby: Officials from Defra and the Department of Health have met and received correspondence from the Spectrum Alliance, which lists its members as: Lupus UK, Eclipse Support Group, XP Support Group, the Skin Care Campaign, ES-UK, Lupus Europe and Migraine Action. Lord Taylor of Holbeach will be meeting representatives of the Spectrum Alliance on 22 August.

Energy: Light Bulbs

Baroness Browning: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has held with the Department of Health about possible exemptions on medical grounds for photo-sensitive people when the ban on non-directional lighting is reviewed.

Lord Newby: Defra and the Department of Health work closely together in developing government policy on artificial lighting. We want to ensure that appropriate lighting solutions remain available for people with light-sensitive health conditions as energy efficient lighting becomes more widely used in the UK.
	Commission Regulation 244/2009, which sets minimum standards for the environmental performance of non-directional household lamps, must be reviewed by 2014. The two departments will continue to work closely together to ensure that this review takes full account of the best available scientific evidence about the health effects of artificial light and the needs of those with light-sensitive health conditions.

Energy: Nuclear Power

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of storing plutonium at Sellafield for 2013-17.

Lord Newby: The estimated costs of storing plutonium at Sellafield have not been disclosed as a single line item in the Sellafield Plan, published on 1 August 2011, as they relate in part to commercial contracts with third parties. The Sellafield Plan (a link to the electronic document is included below) contains a section entitled 'Safe Storage of Pu' which provides information on this topic. http://www.sellafieldsites. com/publications/sellafieldplan/Sellafield Plan.pdf

Energy: Wave and Tidal Power

Lord Rana: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the support provided for the development and operation of wind farms, whether they have any plans to provide similar support for tidal and wave technology.

Lord Newby: The renewables obligation (RO) is currently the Government's main mechanism for incentivising the deployment of large-scale renewable electricity deployment including marine technologies. Marine energy has the potential to make a significant contribution to the UK's electricity demand as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 25 July which announced the results of the RO banding review for the period 2013-17: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/wms_ro_1m/wms_ro_lm.aspx
	This increases the level of support for wave and tidal technologies to 5 ROCs/MWh to a project cap of 30MW.

EU: External Action Service

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 13 July (WA 284-5), whether a reporting framework has been established to monitor the three objectives, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has set out for ambassadors and staff in working with European External Action Service delegations.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are committed to ensuring that their diplomatic missions overseas work constructively with European Union (EU) delegations in pursuit of the three objectives set out in my previous reply (Official Record 13 July, WA 284-5):
	preventing competence creep;
	delivering value for money; and
	ensuring that EU external action promotes UK security and prosperity.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly asks for and receives reports from our embassies and high commissions on their own performance and that of the local EU Delegation against these objectives. The most recent reporting exercises were carried out in May and July of this year. Posts have also been instructed to work closely with EU Delegations to ensure that the UK is helping to lead and shape EU action locally and that EU Delegations advance our objectives and amplify UK influence with host countries.

First-tier Social Security and Child Support Tribunals

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many registered medical practitioners have participated in First Tier Social Security and Child Support Tribunals in each of the last five years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many First Tier Social Security and Child Support Tribunals have disclosed their decisions in each of the past five years.

Lord McNally: (1) Medical practitioners sit as medically qualified panel members on a range of appeals in the First-tier Tribunal, Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), including disability living allowance, industrial injuries disablement benefit, vaccine damage, compensation recovery and some employment and support allowance appeals where the work capability assessment is a factor. They may be either registered or licensed to practise.
	The data management system for the SSCS tribunal is a live database that is continuously updated and it is not possible to extract retrospective figures for the numbers of medical members hearing appeals.
	The table below shows approximate numbers of medically qualified panel members at specific points between 2008 and 2012 as recorded in locally held management information.
	
		
			 Number of Tribunal medically qualified panel members 2008-2012 
			 Year Number of medically qualified panel members 
			 2008 621 
			 2009 572 
			 2010 607 
			 2011 681 
			 2012 814 
		
	
	(2) SSCS tribunal decisions are issued to the appellant, their representative (if they have one), and the first-tier agency that made the original decision, either on the day of the appeal hearing or shortly afterwards. The SSCS tribunal does not publish First-tier Social Security and Child Support appeal hearing decisions or disclose them to any other parties.

Flags: Union Flag

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Ministers, in their next meeting with the chairman of the National Gallery, will inquire why the National Gallery is not flying the Union Flag above its premises during the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Lord Newby: The matter of whether or not to fly a Union Flag from the National Gallery in the lead up to and during the Olympic Games is a decision for that body. However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport encourages all bodies to fly the Union Flag all year round.

Food: Security

The Earl of Selborne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is intending to spend in the current financial year on research to promote food security and sustainable production; and which research organisations are undertaking this research.

Lord Newby: Defra will invest around £60 million in 2011/12 on agriculture and food research underpinning sustainable production and food security. This includes £28 million on farming and food research and the remainder on animal health and welfare.
	The names of research organisations undertaking research on completed and on-going projects can be found on the Defra Science Search Web Page using the following link: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx? Location=None&Module=FilterSearchNewLook& Completed=0

Food: Security

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the oral answer by Baroness Northover on 25 July on the Food Security Summit, whether the Prime Minister will announce at the event that as chair of the G8 next year the United Kingdom will press for the development priority to be hunger and nutrition and tackling the structural causes of hunger.

Baroness Northover: The UK will use its G8 Presidency in 2013 to advance the global development agenda and ensure the G8 delivers on its commitments, including the New Alliance on Food and Nutrition Security. We will set out the UK's priorities for 2013 later this year.

Forced Marriage

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Forced Marriage Protection Orders have been made to date.

Lord Newby: Since the introduction of the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 on 25 November 2008 and up to the end of March 2012, there have been 437 Forced Marriage Protection Orders made.

G8

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the issues of "land grabbing", the improvement of land rights, especially for women, and the structural relationship of land rights to hunger, are on the agendas of both the next G8 meeting to be chaired by the United Kingdom, and the UK high-level meeting on food, to be held during the period of the Olympic Games.

Baroness Northover: The coalition Government recognise that competing pressures on land for food and fuel risk impacting adversely on the food security of the poorest, due to a combination of lack of transparency and good governance and a complex mix of land rights issues. Private sector companies can play a critical role in improving livelihoods and providing job opportunities in developing countries, but such opportunities need to be better harnessed. Within the coalition's emphasis on private sector development, the UK Government also support improved property rights, for example in Rwanda where we are helping at least 6 million landholders obtain formal titles to their land. The UK Government, as part of the G8, welcome the successful negotiation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the context of National Food Security and supports the broad-based consultation process and pilot use of the Principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment.
	The event on hunger during the Olympics will focus on tackling stunting and under-nutrition generally. Although the consideration of land rights is not a specific section of the event, it may be raised as one factor in restricting poorer people's access to sufficient food. The UK Government are still considering what development issues to prioritise for their forthcoming G8 presidency.

Government Departments: Cars

Lord Hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 19 July (WA 78), what were the makes and models of cars supplied to each government department by the Government Car and Despatch Agency for use by Ministers in those departments.

Lord Newby: Ministers at the departments that have taken a departmental pool car from the Government Car and Despatch Agency would have access to the following makes and models of cars, with comparative figures provided for ministerial car allocations as at March 2010:
	
		
			 Department Number of GCDA ministerial car allocations @ 31/03/10: Number of GCDA cars allocated to departments for use by Ministers @ July 2012: July 2012 makes and models: 
			 Cabinet Office 4 1 Toyota Prius 
			 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 7 1 Toyota Prius 
			 Department for Education 6 1 Jaguar XJ 
			 Department for Communities and Local Government 6 2 Land Rover Discovery; Toyota Avensis 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 3 0 n/a 
			 Department for Energy and Climate Change 4 1 Toyota Prius; plug-in hybrid 
			 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2 2 Land Rover Discovery; Toyota Prius 
			 Department for International Development 3 0 n/a 
			 Department for Transport 3 2 Jaguar XF; Toyota Avensis 
			 Department for Work and Pensions 6 1 Jaguar XJ 
			 Department of Health 6 1 Jaguar XJ 
			 Foreign & Commonwealth Office 4 0 n/a 
			 HM Treasury 6 2 Land Rover Discovery; Toyota Prius 
			 Home Office 6 2 Toyota Avensis; Toyota Prius 
			 Law Officers' Department 2 1 Jaguar XF 
			 Ministry of Defence 1 0 n/a 
			 Ministry of Justice 4 1 Jaguar XJ 
			 Northern Ireland Office 2 1 Toyota Prius 
			 Scotland Office 1 0 n/a 
			 Wales Office 2 1 Jaguar XJ 
			  78 20

Government Departments: Overseas Offices

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government , further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 11 July (WA 254-55), whether their Vietnam office will close with the end of their bilateral programme there; whether the base of the UK's Climate Change Unit will change following the announcement by the Department for International Development (DfID) of the closure of the Indonesia bilateral programme; and what is the rationale for a separate DfID office in China and Kosovo following the closure under DfID's bilateral review of the bilateral programmes in both countries.

Baroness Northover: The DfID Vietnam office is due to close with the end of the bilateral programme. Although the DfID Indonesia programme has already closed, there are no plans to change the UK Climate Change Unit.
	The DfID bilateral programme in China has closed. The rationale for maintaining a DfID presence in China is to help build a relationship with China to identify ways in which we and they can work together as partners on shared global development objectives such as poverty reduction in third countries or regions.
	The DfID Kosovo programme is due to close on 30 November 2012, at which time the office will also close.

Government Departments: Parliamentary Units

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and its predecessor departments, spent on running its Parliamentary Unit in each of the past 10 years for which information is available.

Lord Newby: Parliamentary work is carried out in the Parliamentary and Cabinet Business Team, which is part of the secretariat in core Defra. Costs incurred by the Parliamentary and Cabinet Business Team are not separately identifiable on the department's finance IT system. This has been the case for a number of years and consequently the amount spent on running the unit cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

Government Departments: Policy

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many full-time equivalent staff in the Department of Health have been tasked with working on cancer policy for each of the past three years.

Earl Howe: The number of full-time equivalent staff (FTE) in the department working on cancer policy for each of the past three years has been presented in the following table.
	
		
			 Year FTE staff 
			 2009-10 19.7 
			 2010-11 18.3 
			 2011-12 17.1

Government Departments: Policy

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what forecasts have been made of how many full-time equivalent staff in the Department of Health will be tasked with working on cancer policy for each of the next three years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what forecasts have been made of the numbers of full-time equivalent staff within (1) the NHS Commissioning Board and (2) Public Health England will be tasked with working on cancer policy for each of the next three years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what forecasts have been made of the numbers of full-time equivalent staff who have worked on cancer policy within the Department of Health and who will be transferred or have been transferred to work on cancer policy within (1) the NHS Commissioning Board, and (2) Public Health England.

Earl Howe: The information requested is not available. The process for agreeing the functions transferring from existing to new organisations and the members of staff that transfer with these functions has not been completed. This information will eventually be held by the new organisations that will be responsible for this work.
	Once the NHS Commissioning Board and Public Health England have taken up their responsibilities in this area, the Department of Health will work with them to deliver the commitments set out in Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer, which was published in 2011. A copy has already been placed in the Library.

Government Departments: Staff

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Ursula Brennan, left her post; what was the reason for her departure; what is her new Civil Service post; for how many months she had served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence; and what has been the average tenure of this post by the previous 10 incumbents.

Lord Astor of Hever: Ursula Brennan left her post as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence on 29 June 2012 to take up post as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice. Mrs Brennan filled her post in defence for 20 months, having been appointed at the beginning of November 2010. The tenures of the previous 10 incumbents are listed below:
	Sir Bill Jeffrey KCB 2005-2010
	Sir Kevin Tebbit KCB CMG 1998-2005
	Sir Richard Mottram GCB 1995-1998
	Sir Christopher France GCB 1992-1995
	Sir Michael Quinlan GCB 1988-1992
	Sir Clive Whitmore GCB CVO 1983-1988
	Rt Hon Sir Frank Cooper GCB CMG 1976-1982
	Sir A.L Michael Cary KCB 1974-1976
	Sir L James Dunnett GCB 1966-1974
	CMG Sir Henry Hardman KCB 1963-1966.

Government: Official Visits

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government to which countries Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint has paid official visits since his appointment as a Minister of State; what were the dates of those visits; who accompanied him; and what are the estimated costs of each visit.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: During my time as Minister for Trade, I have visited a total of 42 countries, including a number of key partner countries more than once. On some of these visits I have been accompanied by a delegation of British businesses, in others I have linked up with trade delegations in country, and in virtually all I have engaged with the British business community. As with all Ministers, my travel is detailed in full on the Cabinet Office website.

Health and Social Care Act 2012

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how, following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, they will ensure the allied health professions are adequately represented within (1) the Department of Health, (2) Public Health England, (3) Health Education England, and (4) the regional offices of the National Commissioning Board.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what national and regional leadership roles will exist for allied health professionals within the new National Health Service structures created by the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Earl Howe: The Chief Health Professions Officer (CHPO) is the Government's most senior allied health professions adviser. Following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the role is to be retained in the NHS Commissioning Board in order to provide clinical advice and professional leadership. Other organisations within the new health and social care architecture will be able to access to the CHPO's advice, including the department, Public Health England and Health Education England.
	We understand the NHS Commissioning Board Authority is currently addressing how best to incorporate leadership roles for allied health professionals within the new National Health Service structures.

Health and Social Care: Northern Ireland

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the virtues of the model of health and social care integration adopted in Northern Ireland.

Earl Howe: The department has not commissioned research specifically on the model of health and social care integration adopted in Northern Ireland.
	We have committed in the care and support White Paper, Caring for our Future: Reforming Care and Support, to work with partners (including the NHS Commissioning Board, Monitor and local government) to co-produce a framework that will support the removal of barriers to making evidence-based integrated support the norm. Development of this work will include looking at integration exemplars, including those from other countries with different care systems, to draw on their examples and lessons to further develop the case for change and to promote more integrated care in England.

Health: Allergies

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to improve the diagnosis and cure of allergies.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are proposing to improve the systems for training and sharing information between health professionals responsible for the diagnosis and cure of allergies.

Earl Howe: The department funded a project in the North West Strategic Health Authority to pilot the concept of an integrated regional service for allergy and immunotherapy services, and the "lessons learned" report has been widely disseminated. This includes recommendations specifically on training and information sharing for health professionals involved in the care of people with allergies. We expect local and national commissioners to take full account of this report in developing allergy services in the light of local needs and priorities.

Health: Defibrillators

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the National Defibrillator Programme has made in installing automatic external defibrillators.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they monitor the National Defibrillator Programme and if so, how.

Earl Howe: The department is not responsible for the provision of automatic external defibrillators.
	From February 2007, responsibility for continuing the legacy of the National Defibrillator Programme was devolved to ambulance trusts.

Health: HIV/AIDS

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle the issue of stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom.

Earl Howe: The department has recently awarded a new contract to the Terrence Higgins Trust for a national programme of HIV prevention for men who have sex with men, and people from black African communities, the groups most at risk from HIV. One of the programme's objectives is to reduce the stigma linked to HIV.
	The African Health Policy Network, through the previous departmental national HIV prevention programme, produced resources for Christian and Muslim faith leaders and African community-based organisations. These faith toolkits are used to increase levels of awareness around HIV and to change perceptions of HIV and Africans in the United Kingdom.
	In addition, the department's planned sexual health policy document will consider how work can be undertaken at all levels to reduce and challenge HIV stigma.

Health: Musculoskeletal Conditions

Baroness Brinton: To ask Her Majesty's Government who leads on (1) musculoskeletal conditions, and (2) research, at the NHS Commissioning Board.

Earl Howe: We understand that both musculoskeletal conditions and research are likely to fall within the responsibility of the NHS Commissioning Board's medical director, Sir Bruce Keogh. Detailed portfolios within the board's medical directorate have not been finalised but it is likely that issues on musculoskeletal conditions would in the first instance fall to the clinical lead for domain 2 of the NHS outcomes framework, improving the quality of life for people with long-term conditions.

Health: Pre-natal Diagnostic Tests

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the past 12 months, any concerns have been raised by the United Kingdom National Screening Committee over the accuracy of pre-natal tests, especially biochemical serum tests.

Earl Howe: The United Kingdom National Screening Committee (UK NSC) advises Ministers and the National Health Service in all four countries about all aspects of screening policy and supports implementation. Using research evidence, pilot programmes and economic evaluation, the committee assesses the evidence for programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria. Screening can never be 100% accurate and that is why screening programmes are subject to very strict evaluation, and independent expert advice from the UK NSC, before they are introduced, in order to ensure they do more good than harm at a reasonable cost.
	The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme is aware of an issue with some laboratory machines providing extreme biases when analysing biochemical assays. The NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme is working with manufacturers on behalf of the laboratories to identify the reasons for this and improve the accuracy of the biochemical serum test.

Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis

Baroness Brinton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of people with rheumatoid arthritis in (1) England, and (2) the United Kingdom; and what is their estimate of the number of people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in the last year in (a) England, and (b) the United Kingdom.

Earl Howe: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence estimated, in its 2009 clinical guideline, that there were about 400,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis in the United Kingdom, with about 12,000 people developing the disease each year. These figures would equate to a prevalence of about 335,000 and an annual incidence of about 10,000 for England. Estimates for individual years are not available.

Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis

Baroness Brinton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were receiving biologics as part of their treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in the last financial year; and what was the estimated cost to the National Health Service.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of trusts who prescribe biologics in accordance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis.

Earl Howe: Information is not held centrally on the number of people treated. The following table provides information on the use of biologics for the calendar year 2011, the latest available matching period for primary and secondary care data.
	
		
			 Biologic medicines - use and cost, England 20111- 2 
			 Care setting Prescription items (000s) 3 Volume by number of packs (000s) Cost MON 4' 5 
			 Primary care 18.9 n/a 22,190.7 
			 Secondary care n/a 14,595.7 658,304.6 
		
	
	Sources: Prescription Cost Analysis, IMS HEALTH: Hospital Pharmacy Audit
	Notes:
	1 Biologics drugs are defined in part of the British National Formulary (BNF) section 10.1.3 under Cytokine modulators. The drugs are abatacept, adalimumab, anakinra, belimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab and tocilzumab.
	2 Some medicines such as some within the defined biologics group can be delivered directly to the patient by commercial companies under 'homecare' arrangements managed by hospitals. There are no separate 'homecare' figures available for these medicines.
	3 Primary care - number of prescription items written in the UK and dispensed, in the community, in England.
	4 Primary care - net ingredient cost.
	5 Secondary care - cost at National Health Service list price, which is not necessarily the price the hospital paid.
	No assessment has been made of the number of NHS trusts that have prescribed biologics in accordance with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for rheumatoid arthritis.
	NICE clinical guidelines are based on an assessment of the best available evidence and are developed through wide consultation with stakeholders. They represent best practice and we expect commissioners and clinicians to take them into account in their decision-making.

Healthcare: Costs

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 25 June (WA 25-6), what is the text of the 18-month deadline under new European Union (EU) Regulation 883/2004, which refers to the date the claim is submitted to the United Kingdom; and for each EU country what were the actual pensioner healthcare payments for UK state pensions and the average pensioner healthcare charge in the last two years.

Earl Howe: Article 66(5) of Regulation 987/2009 states: "the claims shall be paid to the liaison body of the creditor member state referred to in Article 66 of the implementing Regulation by the debtor institution within 18 months of the end of the month during which they were introduced to the liaison body of the debtor member state. This does not apply to the claims which the debtor institution has rejected for a relevant reason within that period".
	The most recently published average pensioner healthcare costs for each Member State is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Country Currency Local Currency Annual costs shown in euros Year published 
			 Norway NOK 80,908.00 10,903.32 2010 
			 Netherlands EURO  9,902.78 2010 
			 Luxembourg EURO  9,055.18 2009 
			 Liechtenstein CHF 8,966.77 7,466.09 2010 
			 Ireland EURO  6,789.44 2004 
			 Switzerland CHF 7,387.12 6,150.81 2010 
			 Belgium EURO  5,370.12 2009 
			 France EURO  5,352.79 2009 
			 Sweden SEK 46,803.45 5,605.51 2009 
			 Germany EURO  5,153.21 2010 
			 Finland EURO  4,805.50 2010 
			 Austria EURO  4,862.23 2010 
			 Spain EURO  3,869.77 2010 
			 Italy EURO  2,898.29 2010 
			 Greece EURO  2,983.55 2009 
			 Portugal EURO  2,030.92 2009 
			 Czech Republic CZK 47,610.70 1,879.10 2010 
			 Slovenia EURO  1,842.04 2010 
			 Malta EURO  1,572.64 2007 
			 Slovakia EURO  1,534.79 2010 
			 Cyprus EURO  1,118.37 2009 
			 Estonia EURO  979.46 2009 
			 Poland PLN 3,589.80 871.14 2009 
			 Hungary HUF 246,892.00 879.46 2009 
			 Lithuania LTL 2,652.17 768.12 2009 
			 Latvia LVL 398.89 572.62 2008 
			 United Kingdom GBP 3,852.77 4,893.65 2009 
		
	
	Note: For non-EURO countries the exchange rate has been taken as of 27 July 2012
	Total payments to Member States for healthcare provided to UK state pensioners are shown in the following table (all figures in local currency):
	
		
			 Figures in local currencies 
			 Claim By 2010-11 Total 2011-12 Total 
			 Austria 1,494,483 3,619,435 
			 Belgium 245,914 2,215,299 
			 Cyprus 5,676,895 228,279 
			 Czech Republic 967,272 1,648,980 
			 France 48,952,661 138,485,038 
			 Germany 5,201,171 9,482,607 
			 Greece 2,718,024 3,943,650 
			 Ireland 290,147,269 286,991,211 
			 Italy 369,989 4,744,048 
			 Lithuania  22,723 
			 Luxembourg  151,246 
			 Netherlands  1,395,035 
			 Portugal 2,200,227 2,354,469 
			 Slovenia 61,904 2,666 
			 Spain 84,472,286 119,565,896 
			 Sweden 6,754,412 20,307 
			 Switzerland 1,494,739 1,700,918

HMS "Victory"

Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 22 May (WA 49), whether they have authorised any further operations by the company Odyssey Marine Exploration on the wreck of HMS "Victory"; whether those operations have been discussed in advance with the advisory group established by the Government to advise Ministers on the treatment of the wreck; and what sanctions are available to deter companies from acting without the prior approval of Ministers following the advice of the advisory group for the actions proposed.

Lord Astor of Hever: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my right honourable friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Andrew Robathan) in the other place on 17 July 2012, (Official Report, col. 760W).
	We are currently considering a request from the Maritime Heritage Foundation for further work on the HMS Victory site. This request has been discussed with the advisory group established to advise both Ministers and the Maritime Heritage Foundation on the treatment of the wreck. The deed of gift, which is available at http://www.mod.uklDefenceInternet/AboutDefence/ CorporatePublications/MaritimePublications/Hms Victory1744AdvisoryGroup.htm, states: "the Company agrees not to disturb, remove from the seabed, sell, charge, lease, give or otherwise dispose of anything hereby transferred". Any activity undertaken without the approval of the Secretary of State would be a breach of the terms of the deed of gift, for which legal remedies would be available.

Homosexuality

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had recently with Governments in Commonwealth countries where homosexuality is illegal about the application of international human rights law on this issue.

Lord Howell of Guildford: In recent months, the Minister for Africa raised concerns regarding a Private Members' Bill to strengthen anti-homosexuality legislation with the President of Uganda. The Minister for Equalities also raised these concerns with the Vice President and Speaker for Parliament during a recent visit to Kampala. In The Gambia, our High Commissioner delivered a démarche to the Gambian Minister of Foreign Affairs protesting against the trial of 20 Gambians arrested for allegedly committing "unnatural offences". Human Rights issues were also discussed at the European Union's (EU) Article 8 political dialogue which was held between EU member states and the Government of Gambia in June.
	The Commonwealth is a valuable partner in promoting human rights globally, and in helping to deliver UK human rights policy. We are committed to working with the Commonwealth and its partners to help them uphold values of human rights, rule of law, democracy and development. We regularly raise human rights issues with the Commonwealth Secretariat and with member states. We seek to increase debate on these issues, including on sexual orientation or gender identity, within and among Commonwealth countries.

Horses

Lord Higgins: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Transportation Agreement between France, Ireland and the United Kingdom, designed to facilitate the transport of competition and other high-value horses between the three countries, was extended to cover low value horses which may come from Eastern Europe and elsewhere; what assessment they have made of the risk that this may result in the spread of disease among horses in the UK; and whether they have plans to open negotiations immediately with the objective of returning the agreement to its original form.

Lord Newby: The Tripartite Agreement is a long-standing agreement between France, the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Under the original agreement registered equidae, usually for competition and racing, were able to move freely between the signatory countries based on shared health status. The agreement does not remove the need to comply with EU welfare in transport legislation. In 2005, due to its success, it was expanded to include equidae for "breeding and production", covering among others ponies for leisure and has continued to work well. The agreement continues to be tripartite and only between the three signatory countries.
	Romania acceded to the EU in 2007 and at present is subject to required EU restrictions on the movement of horses.
	There is a balance between facilitating free trade of horses that need to move regularly and recognising the risk of importation of disease. Defra continually monitors and assesses the UK risk from disease outbreaks in the EU and beyond.

House of Lords: Apprentices

Lord Adonis: To ask the Chairman of Committees whether the House of Lords Administration will consider establishing an apprenticeship scheme within the employment of the House, to start no later than spring 2013.

Lord Sewel: The House of Lords Administration has no current plans to establish an apprenticeship scheme before the spring of 2013, but I have asked the Clerk of the Parliaments to examine whether it would be possible to introduce such a scheme.
	The Administration runs training schemes for certain groups of staff including staff in Catering and Retail Services, the Parliamentary Archives, the Finance Department and the Human Resources Office. These schemes involve sponsored study with day-release or study leave and lead to recognised professional qualifications. The Administration also has a generous scheme of support for further and higher education. The Administration does not run any craft apprenticeships because it does not employ any staff in the building and allied trades. The Parliamentary Estates Directorate, which is a department of the House of Commons, is responsible for the maintenance of the Parliamentary Estate.

House of Lords: Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask the Leader of the House, further to his answer on 23 July (HL Deb, col. 481-4), on what basis he considers that Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint could have answered a maximum of three oral questions on behalf of his department.

Lord Strathclyde: Lord Green has answered oral questions from Lord Alton of Liverpool (9 March 2011) and Lord Bates (8 March 2012). He did not answer an oral question from Lord Harrison (28 June 2012) which raised matters related to UKTI's remit. Other oral questions answered by BIS Ministers in the House over the period in question did not relate to UKTI's remit. That was the context for my remarks.

House of Lords: Members' Surveys

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask the Chairman of Committees what was the cost of the recent Members' survey on the facilities and services in the House of Lords conducted by BMG Research; why the survey could not have been produced in-house; and what was the purpose of the question on ethnic origin.

Lord Sewel: It is expected that the Members' survey will cost approximately £15,000, but this will depend on the amount of additional analysis which the Administration commission after reviewing the survey results. An external provider has been employed to conduct the survey and process the results in order to ensure that all responses are dealt with anonymously and so that the results can be properly and independently validated.
	The House Administration are keen to ensure that all Members receive a good service, and it may be useful to analyse the results in order to identify whether there are particular trends within particular groups of Members. Therefore, at the end of the survey form, Members are asked a number of questions which will enable the results to be sorted by particular categories while preserving Members' confidentiality.

House of Lords: Members' Surveys

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask the Chairman of Committees why the options provided for answering question 27 of the Members' survey on the facilities and services in the House of Lords, asking Members to indicate their ethnic origin, were White, White Other, Mixed background, Black or Black British, Asian or Asian British (including Chinese), Other and Prefer not to say.

Lord Sewel: In order for the House Administration to assess whether all Members receive a good service, at the end of the Members' survey there are a number of optional questions which will enable the Administration to analyse whether there are particular trends of answers from particular groups of Members. The options provided were based on advice from the external survey provider. Unfortunately there was an error in question 27 and the first option should have been "White British" rather than "White".

Houses of Parliament: Sitting Days

Lord Grocott: To ask the Leader of the House, further to his answer on 17 July (HL Deb, col. 111) on the sitting arrangements of the two Houses, whether he will identify the comparative costs of (1) both Houses sitting during the same two weeks, and (2) one sitting independently for two weeks, then the other sitting independently for two weeks, including in the analysis the costs incurred by the (a) opening hours of refreshment facilities, (b) opening hours of Library and research facilities, (c) availability of the services of Clerks in the two Houses, and (d) costs of scheduling building and refurbishment works.

Lord Strathclyde: I refer the noble Lord to the answer he received from the Chairman of Committees on 16 February (HL Hansard col. WA 179).
	I am not, as Leader of the House, responsible for the administration of the House: that falls to the House Committee, whose spokesman is the Chairman of Committees.

Houses of Parliament: Ticket Sales

Lord Hoyle: To ask the Chairman of Committees how much profit Parliament made through sales of tickets to Parliament over the Summer Recesses of 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Lord Sewel: The surplus of income recovered by Parliament over attributed costs during the Summer Recesses in question was £114,809 in 2009, £102,125 in 2010 and £188,246 in 2011.

Houses of Parliament: Ticketmaster

Lord Hoyle: To ask the Chairman of Committees what criteria are used to judge the performance of Ticketmaster in its fulfilment of its contract with the Houses of Parliament.

Lord Sewel: Ticketmaster is contracted by Parliament to provide ticketing for Parliament's commercial tours. This includes online, phone and group sales and also the provision of software and hardware for the onsite ticket office. Ticketmaster is also contracted to provide technical support, event management and marketing support. The fulfilment of the contract is based upon the delivery of these services, and a service level agreement covers the following criteria:
	payment of moneys received;provision of management information;the issue of tickets to customers;quality control (via envelope checks);customer phone hold times;phone abandonment rate; andcustomer complaints.

Human Trafficking

Lord McColl of Dulwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Welsh Government's anti-human trafficking co-ordinator established in April 2011; and whether they are considering making a similar appointment in England.

Lord Henley: An assessment of the work of the Welsh Government's anti-human trafficking co-ordinator will be made as part of the first report of the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group (IDMG) on Human Trafficking, due to be published in October 2012. A national anti-human trafficking co-ordinator will not be appointed in England. The IDMG co-ordinates work on trafficking across the UK and performs the national rapporteur function in compliance with the EU directive on trafficking in human beings.

Immigration

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people have entered the United Kingdom in each of the last five years from (1) the European Union, (2) the Commonwealth, and (3) the rest of the world.

Lord Newby: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your parliamentary Question to Her Majesty's Government, asking how many people have entered the United Kingdom in each of the last five years from (1) the European Union, (2) the Commonwealth, and (3) the rest of the world [HL1752].
	Estimates are published in two forms: first, the number of overseas travel and tourism visits to the UK of less than 12 months in duration which are completed in the reporting year and are based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS); and, secondly, the number of people migrating to the UK for 12 months or more (long-term international migration) during the reporting year and are based on the IPS plus adjustments. The most recent year for which both sets of estimates are available is 2010.
	Table 1: Number of visits to the UK (in '000s) in the last five years
	
		
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 European Union 21214 21800 21610 20307 20244 
			 Commonwealth 3557 3403 3415 3027 3174 
			 Rest of the World 7942 7576 6862 6555 6385 
		
	
	Source: International Passenger Survey
	Table 2: Number of people migrating to the UK (in '000s) in the last five years
	
		
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 European Union 210 220 224 198 208 
			 Commonwealth 219 200 196 204 219 
			 Rest of the World 167 154 171 164 163 
		
	
	Source: Long-Term International Migration (LTIM)

Internet: Domain Names

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of accuracy being achieved in the recording and storing of the contact details of owners of .uk domain names; what discussions they have had with Nominet about that issue; and whether they will ask Nominet to publish the report that they have commissioned into the accuracy of the data on contact details.

Lord Newby: No assessment has been made of the level of accuracy being achieved in the recording and storing of the contact details of owners of .uk domain names (known as the WHOIS). Officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have regular informal discussions with Nominet on a range of issues, and accuracy of WHOIS data is something that is discussed from time to time. Nominet is a private company, and as such, it would not be appropriate for the Government to request that it publishes research which was undertaken as part of the work it is doing to improve WHOIS accuracy.

Isle of Sark

Lord Prescott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 23 July (WA 109), what financial assistance has been given to the Isle of Sark in fulfilling its constitutional obligations on behalf of the Crown for each year since 2008.

Lord Newby: The UK Government have given no financial assistance to Sark in fulfilling its constitutional obligations on behalf of the Crown. Costs have, however, been incurred by the UK Government in defending applications for judicial review in the courts of the United Kingdom, challenging specific decisions to recommend that legislation passed by the Chief Pleas of Sark should receive the Royal Assent which is necessary for that legislation to come into force. Information is not available broken down by year, but the costs incurred by the UK Government since 2008 in such cases, including those presently under way, amount to approximately £199,000, of which £44,000 has been recovered by the UK Government under costs orders made by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Israel

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel in relation to the lifting of the blockade of Gaza and their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Lord Howell of Guildford: In close co-ordination with our European Union partners and the Office of the Quartet Representative, the UK regularly makes representations at both ministerial and official level to the Government of Israel on the urgent need to ease restrictions on Gaza.
	We are clear that Israeli restrictions on movements of goods and people do serious damage to the economy and living standards of ordinary people in Gaza. The current situation fosters radicalisation and empowers Hamas. An improved economy is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests.
	Most recently our ambassador to Israel and Consulate General in Jerusalem discussed our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the Coordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Major General Dangot on 16 July.
	We regularly raise the treatment of children in the OPTs with the Israeli authorities, including in Gaza. UK financial assistance supports the Palestinian Authority and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to provide primary healthcare and hospital care to Gazans. This includes support to construct fourteen new UNRWA schools in Gaza and supporting 28,000 refugee children to attend school. While we have not discussed the rights of children under the specific auspices of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, we have discussed in detail issues affecting children, including themes relating to the convention. Issues discussed include ensuring development and increasing the standard of living for children in Gaza, ensuring protection for Gazan children from war, conflict and violence and ensuring that Gazan children have access to education.

Israel

The Lord Bishop of Exeter: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implementation by the Government of Israel of the recommendations made by the 2003 Or Commission to tackle discrimination against Arab citizens of Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: There have been key changes in Israel since the Or Commission's report such as:
	ending the use of live fire as a means of crowd control;
	an increased police presence which has seen the number of police stations in Israeli Arab areas rise from three to 105;
	a corresponding increase in non-Jewish recruitment, from 0.1 percent to 8.9 percent; and,
	better police liaison with Israeli Arab municipalities and community leaders.
	In contrast, few of Or's recommendations on the socio-economic causes of Israeli Arab frustration have been addressed. We continue to urge the Israeli Government to implement the recommendations made by the 2003 Or Commission, specifically to address (i) economic disparities; and (ii) unequal access to land and housing.
	In general we condemn all instances of inequality and discrimination against individuals and groups because of their faith, ethnicity or nationality. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate-General in Jerusalem, as elsewhere, monitor and raise concerns over human rights with host Governments, including discrimination and freedom of religion or belief when appropriate.
	We have also supported projects aimed at tackling discrimination between Jewish and Arab communities in Israel. In 2011 the UK sponsored a £40,000 project for Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders to join a multi-sector leaders' network that aims to advance peace in the region.

Israel

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds they supported the recent upgrading of relations between the European Union and Israel.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The European Union (EU)-Israel Association Council at its regular meeting on 24 July discussed some practical co-operation measures in line with the existing EU-Israel Action Plan. It does not represent an upgrade or any major broadening of EU-Israel relations. The EU has been very clear that no progress can be made on upgrading the wider EU-Israel relationship until there is substantial progress towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. This is a position the UK supports.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking within the European Union to address the alleged destruction by Israeli occupation authorities of an agricultural project funded by the European Union near the village of al-Khedr in the occupied West Bank.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Government are concerned about demolitions of Palestinian houses and infrastructure, including projects funded by the European Union (EU) and other European partners, in the West Bank. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) discussed the issue of such demolitions with EU partners at the 14 May EU Foreign Affairs Council. Along with EU partners, we have raised our concerns about demolitions with the Israeli authorities, although we have not raised this particular project with them.
	The UK is focused on preventing demolitions of Palestinian property, whether funded by the international community or not. We are working with other EU member states to make clear to Israel the need for significant streamlining of the procedure for Palestinians to gain planning permission in Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank (specifically Area C) and the need to halt all demolitions until a more effective process is in place.

Legal Aid

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government why social security was not included in the current legal aid tender; and what steps are being taken to ensure that providers contracted to undertake legal work in this area are sufficiently specialist and experienced.

Lord McNally: It has not been possible to include welfare benefit appeals in the current tender round due to the late decision to include this within the scope of the legal aid scheme. My officials and the Legal Services Commission (LSC) are currently considering the most effective way to deliver this service from April 2013. An announcement on this will be made in due course.

Mali

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the security situation in Northern Mali; and what plans they have to contribute to restoring peace to the region.

Baroness Northover: The United Nations currently estimates that the number of people at risk of food shortages across the Sahel region of West Africa in 2012 is 18 million. Of these, 3.5 million are in Mali.
	The security situation in Mali remains of particular concern, and over 415,000 men, women and children have been directly affected by the conflict in the northern regions of the country. Over 260,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries, and over 155,000 people have been internally displaced following months of armed conflict. The deterioration in security conditions has severely limited the humanitarian response by reducing access to those acutely affected by this crisis in the north of the country.
	The UK Government are supportive of efforts led by the Economic Community Of West African States and the African Union to bring about a resolution to the crisis in Mali. We will continue to work closely with our international partners, including the United Nations and the European Union, to help return the country to full democracy, including the holding of elections.

Migrant Workers: Bulgarians and Romanians

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United Kingdom is required by the EU Commission to open its labour market to Bulgarian and Romanian workers by bringing forward the transition date for free access to the labour market for such nationals, and, if so, what was their response.

Lord Henley: The European Commission earlier this year wrote to the Home Secretary acknowledging the labour market reasons for the Government's decision to maintain restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian nationals' access to the labour market until the end of 2013, but urging the Government regularly to reassess the labour market position and to consider whether the existing restrictions could be eased before the end of 2013. The Government's response was that they are under no obligation to further review their decision of November 2011 and have no plans to do so.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of the functions and responsibilities of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Lord Henley: The Home Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) works closely with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) to ensure that its priority work areas support delivery of the Government's wildlife crime priorities. Every six months the NWCU produces a tactical assessment of progress against each of its priority work areas, which is considered by the Home Office, Defra and other members of the UK Wildlife Crime Tasking and Co-ordinating Group.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success of the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Lord Henley: Every six months the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) produces a tactical assessment of progress against each of its priority work areas. The tactical assessment is considered jointly by the Home Office, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and other members of the UK Wildlife Crime Tasking and Co-ordinating Group.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have concerning the role of the National Wildlife Crime Unit over the next five years, and what the funding arrangements will be.

Lord Henley: We recognise the important role that the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) plays in tackling wildlife crime, and that role will evolve as the wider policing landscape develops. Decisions on government funding for the NWCU beyond 2012-13 will be taken by Ministers later this year.

NHS: Primary Care Trusts

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times since May 2010 they have has asked strategic health authorities to investigate the imposition of blanket bans on treatments by primary care trusts.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times since May 2010 they have asked strategic health authorities to investigate the imposition of blanket bans on treatments by primary care trusts on a cost basis unrelated to medical need.

Earl Howe: Primary care trusts are responsible for the commissioning of treatment and services, taking into account evidence of best practice and the needs of the local population.
	While the department does not routinely collect data on the commissioning decisions of individual primary care trusts, where allegations of blanket bans on treatments are brought to our attention they are investigated. To provide details of all contact with strategic health authorities on this matter would incur disproportionate cost.

NHS: Primary Care Trusts

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have taken action against a primary care trust because it has refused laparoscopies or X-rays of the uterus on the grounds that they were not permissible as investigations under the National Health Service; and, if so, what action was taken.

Earl Howe: We are not aware of any such action. However, I refer the noble Lord to my previous Answer on this subject on 17 July 2012, Official Report, col. 100.

NHS: Primary Care Trusts

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure that all decisions to restrict patient treatments made by primary care trusts or clinical commissioning groups will be made in public.

Earl Howe: Section 2A of the NHS Constitution gives patients the right "to expect local decisions on funding of other drugs and treatments to be made rationally following a proper consideration of the evidence". Guidance to commissioners on the principles to be followed in local decision-making was set out in a handbook published by the National Prescribing Centre and the department in January 2009. This advises commissioners that they should "communicate clearly with stakeholders including the wider National Health Service, patients and the public. Communication should include the processes, decisions and the rationale for decisions, while maintaining appropriate confidentiality".

Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the Government of Nigeria concerning the suspension of the Rifkatu Samson Danna from Bauchi State House of Assembly.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Our commission in Abuja is aware of the suspension of Honourable Rifkatu Samson Danna from the Bauchi State House of Assembly. This is an internal matter for the assembly.

North Africa: Landmines

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to deal with the remaining landmines laid in North Africa by Allied and Axis forces in World War 2, and what representations have they received from the Governments of the nations concerned.

Lord Astor of Hever: The UK has assisted with landmine clearance in North Africa in the past and continues to provide technical information to the mine-affected countries when requested.
	An emergency programme was launched last year in the aftermath of the uprising in Libya to cope with explosive remnants, including newly laid mines, unexploded and abandoned ordnance. The UK is supporting non-governmental organisations engaged in clearance, such as the Libya Mine Action Centre, to undertake capacity-building work in Libya, including the implementation of a national mine action programme.

Northern Ireland Office: Staff

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Shutt of Greetland on 13 October 2011 (WA 257), what was the date of departure of Hilary Jackson, the former director-general of the Northern Ireland Office; what are the financial details and costs of her redundancy package and its capitalised value; and at what age her pension would normally become payable.

Lord Newby: Hilary Jackson left the Northern Ireland Office on 31 December 2011. Hilary was a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) employee on loan to the NIO. The MoJ will hold the personal data about the cost of her departure as she left under an MoJ scheme. There were no costs to the NIO.

Overseas Aid

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government which European Union member states are not on track to meet, or have ceased to be committed to meeting, the target of increasing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of gross national income or to commit 50% of all increases in ODA to African countries by 2015.

Baroness Northover: The UK is firmly on track to reach 0.7% ODA/GNI by 2013. However, while 16 member states maintained or increased their aid in 2011, a number of member states are off-track in meeting the 0.7% target. According to the 2010 Annual Report to the European Council on EU Aid Targets, of the countries that were member states before 2004, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Italy and Greece did not meet the interim 2010 target of 0.51% ODA/GNI. Of the countries that joined the EU after 2004 only Malta met the interim 2010 target of 0.17% ODA/GNI. All member states reaffirmed their commitment to meet the 0.7% ODA/GNI target at this year's June European Council.
	The target of spending 50% of all ODA in Africa by 2015 is a collective EU target. According to the One DATA report, from 2004 to 2011, the countries that were member states before 2004 spent 36.2% of global ODA increases in Africa. Between 2004 and 2010, these countries increased ODA to Africa by $5.04 billion. The UK will continue to press other member states to meet their aid commitments, including the necessary increases to Africa.

Overseas Aid

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with European Union Official Development Assistance (ODA) partners on maintaining ODA pledges and managing joint aid programmes in the current economic climate.

Baroness Northover: The UK remains on track to meet its commitments on ODA. However, a number of countries are off track which seriously undermines progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Ministers discuss this regularly with European Union colleagues and the Second Annual Report to the European Council on EU Aid Targets was recently adopted at the May Development Foreign Affairs Council. The UK also successfully pressed for language on ODA in the June European Council and will continue to use high-level meetings in the EU to hold other member states to account for meeting their aid commitments.
	The UK is a strong supporter of country-led aid effectiveness work, most recently re-affirmed at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan. The Secretary of State for International Development is co-chair of global partnership post-Busan. A key outcome of the conference was to improve donor co-ordination to reduce duplication and waste. With regard to improving EU co-ordination, the UK strongly believes that any form of joint programming needs to come out of country led processes. We will continue to support efforts to harmonise development programmes which reduce transaction costs and improve results.

Overseas Aid

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for International Development spent on social protection programmes in Nigeria for (1) children and (2) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and what is their assessment of the impact of those programmes.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for International Development spent on social protection programmes in Nigeria to improve nutritional outcomes for (1) children and (2) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and what is their assessment of the impact of those programmes.

Baroness Northover: DfID did not fund any social protection programmes in Nigeria between 2008 and 2011. DfID is currently developing a new social protection programme, which is expected to start in early 2013. The programme is expected to include an evaluation component to assess the impact of the programme.
	In September 2011, DfID started a nutrition programme in Nigeria aimed at reaching 6.2 million children under five years and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers over a six-year period. The programme is being independently evaluated, although it is too early to assess its impact at this stage.

Overseas Aid

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for International Development spent on social protection programmes in Ethiopia for (1) children, and (2) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and what is their assessment of the impact of these programmes.

Baroness Northover: The Department for International Development (DfID) supports the Ethiopian Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP), which provides cash and food transfers to around 7.5 million hungry households during the lean season. While this is not targeted at women or children, they are major beneficiaries of improved household food security. DfID spending on PSNP was £35 million in 2008/9; £30.5 million in 2009/10, £61.6 million in 2010/11; and £61.1 million in 2011/12.
	Independent evaluations in 2008 and 2010 found that the programme had improved food security for recipients. Children in recipient households ate more meals per day and the food gap-the number of months during which a household was unable to meet its food needs-has been reduced by a third (more than a month). PSNP transfers have also helped recipient households to retain productive assets in the face of shocks (helping them to avoid, for example, selling their draft animals at distress prices in the wake of a bad harvest); and, through PSNP public works, to reverse decades of environmental degradation and declining farm yields. Data on the height and weight of children under five years were collected in 2010 and will be collected again in 2012. These data will be analysed by May 2013, allowing us to assess the impact of PSNP on children's nutritional outcomes.

Overseas Aid

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the Department for International Development spent on social protection programmes in Ethiopia to improve nutritional outcomes for (1) children, and (2) pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and what is their assessment of the impact of those programmes.

Baroness Northover: The Department for International Development (DfID) supports the Ethiopian Productive Safety Nets Programme (PSNP), which provides cash and food transfers to around 7.5 million hungry households during the lean season. DfID spending on PSNP was £35 million in 2008/9; £30.5 million in 2009/10; £61.6 million in 2010/11; and £61.1 million in 2011/12.
	Independent evaluations in 2008 and 2010 found that the programme had improved food security for recipients. Children in recipient households ate more meals per day and the food gap-the number of months during which a household was unable to meet its food needs-has been reduced by a third (more than a month). While it is likely that improved food consumption has led to improved nutritional status we cannot know this for certain without additional analysis, as nutrition is affected by a range of factors. Data on the height and weight of children under five years were collected in 2010 and will be collected again in 2012 and will be analysed by May 2013, allowing us to assess the impact of PSNP on children's nutritional outcomes.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding they have provided in each of the last 10 years, and how much they plan to spend in each year to 2015, for promoting (1) human rights, and (2) democracy, overseas; and which departments disburse this funding.

Baroness Northover: The UK Government support human rights and democracy through the work of two departments. DfID is the main funding provider. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also provides financial assistance to promote human rights and democracy, as well as playing a key diplomatic role in promoting the UK's values on human rights and democracy. DfID has provided a total of nearly £738 million on support to human rights and democracy in the period from 2000-01 to 2010-11, bilaterally and through multilateral organisations, although we believe this figure to be a low estimation of DfID's full expenditure on democracy and human rights. The FCO currently spends a minimum of £10 million per year on human rights and democracy.
	Table 1 below shows the break-down of DfID's bilateral and multilateral spend per year. Table 2 shows DfID's bilateral spend per year on (1) human rights and (2) democracy. It would incur disproportionate costs to identify the break-down of DfID's multilateral spend on human rights and democracy over the past 10 years.
	DfID does not have sufficient information available to give a fair projection of DfID expenditure on human rights and democracy until 2015. The FCO's expenditure on human rights and democracy is currently assessed on an annual basis and next year's allocation has not yet been announced.
	Table 1: DfID's bilateral and multilateral spend per year on human rights and democracy.
	
		
			 Spend(£000s) 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 
			 DfID Bilateral 14,920 14,960 16,143 21,707 21,521 23,967 
			 DfID Multilateral - - - - - - 
		
	
	
		
			 Spend(£000s) 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 DfID Bilateral 20,196 33,988 42,048 27,622 44,567 
			 DfID Multilateral 99,420 104,571 104,319 74,366 73,502 
		
	
	Table 2. DfID's bilateral spend per year on human rights and democracy (elections).
	
		
			 Spend(£000s) 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 
			 Human  Rights 9,771 10,470 11,802 8,558 7,884 7,249 
			 Democracy  (Elections) 5,150 4,490 4,341 13,149 13,637 16,718 
		
	
	
		
			 Spend(£000s) 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 
			 Human Rights 6,405 12,308 11,591 9,084 10,688 
			 Democracy  (Elections) 13,791 21,680 30,456 18,539 33,880 
		
	
	This can be found at: www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-201l/SID-2011-Additional-tables/ and www.fco.gov.uk/en/publications-and-documents/publications1/annual-reports/human-rights-report.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government to how many countries the Department for International Development has provided general and sector budget support in the last 10 years; how much funding it has provided to each of those countries in those 10 years; to which countries it plans to provide general and sector budget support until 2015; how much this planned general and sector budget support will total for each of those countries; and whether the department requires that all bank accounts to which it provides general and sector budget support are publicly audited.

Baroness Northover: The table below presents general and sector budget support (GBS and SBS) expenditure over the past 10 years, disaggregated by country. As shown in the table, over the past 10 years DfID has provided budget support in a total of 20 countries across Africa and Asia.
	DfID does not publish forward projections of particular aid types due to the uncertainty surrounding these numbers. In the case of budget support, it is likely that actual disbursements will differ from planned expenditure. For example, DfID may not disburse all approved expenditure if the UK's underlying partnership principles are breached or if there is underperformance in the indicators linked to performance tranches. Moreover, new budget support programmes may be approved over the coming years.
	Nevertheless, details of all of approved budget support programmes can be found on the DfID website (http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/default.aspx), where all business cases are published.
	When we provide budget support, it is a requirement that all bank accounts into which budget support funds are transferred are audited by the recipient country's public audit institutions. We provide budget support only when we are completely satisfied that funds will be used for their intended purpose. DfID conducts detailed fiduciary risk assessments (FRAs) examining all aspects of recipient country public financial management systems before budget support is provided.
	
		
			 Expenditure (£ mn) 
			  2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 
			  GBS SBS GBS SBS GBS SBS GBS SBS 
			 Bangladesh 0.0 6.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 29.8 0.0 8.0 
			 Bolivia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cambodia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cameroon 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 
			 Ethiopia (1) 10.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 30.0 15.0 0.0 42.0 
			 Ghana 20.0 0.0 25.0 0.0 35.0 0.0 42.5 0.0 
			 India (2) 30.0 0.0 55.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 14.5 
			 Malawi 0.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 15.0 0.0 24.9 7.9 
			 Moldova 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 
			 Mozambique 10.0 5.1 15.0 5.7 30.0 5.9 35.0 6.3 
			 Nepal 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.1 0.0 8.7 
			 Nicaragua 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 
			 Niger 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Pakistan (3) 20.0 0.0 35.0 15.0 0.0 7.5 20.0 22.5 
			 Rwanda 22.0 0.0 18.8 0.0 34.3 0.0 54.3 0.0 
			 Sierra Leone 10.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 12.0 0.0 15.0 0.0 
			 Tanzania 45.0 0.0 60.0 0.0 65.0 0.0 85.0 0.0 
			 Uganda 17.5 12.0 30.0 0.0 35.0 0.0 30.0 0.0 
			 Vietnam 0.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 20.0 14.0 
			 Zambia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 0.0 20.7 0.0 
			 Total 184.5 23.7 288.8 20.7 286.5 60.5 347.3 125.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Expenditure (£ mn) 
			  2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 
			  GBS SBS GBS SBS GBS SBS GBS SBS 
			 Bangladesh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Bolivia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cambodia 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cameroon 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Ethiopia (1) 0.0 69.9 0.0 111.6 0.0 105.2 0.0 93.0 
			 Ghana 35.8 10.0 56.5 10.0 59.5 18.0 48.0 24.2 
			 India (2) 0.0 16.0 0.0 54.0 0.0 54.0 0.0 52.0 
			 Malawi 20.0 13.3 22.0 19.3 22.0 20.4 24.0 17.5 
			 Moldova 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.5 
			 Mozambique 36.0 0.8 41.0 0.0 42.0 14.5 44.0 16,9 
			 Nepal 0.0 5.4 0.0 18.0 0.0 9.0 0.0 5.2 
			 Nicaragua 0.0 1.0 1.5 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Niger 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.9 
			 Pakistan (3) 20.0 32.5 10.0 38.0 30.0 25.7 30.0 22.5 
			 Rwanda 0.0 2.6 33.0 5.0 33.0 2.2 33.0 5.7 
			 Sierra Leone 12.5 0.0 13.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 12.2 0.0 
			 Tanzania 90.0 0.0 105.0 0.0 103.5 0.0 103.5 0.0 
			 Uganda 40.0 0.0 35.0 0.0 35.0 0.0 32.5 0.0 
			 Vietnam 20.0 14.5 20.0 11.8 20.0 6.0 20.0 9.6 
			 Zambia 23.3 0.0 28.0 0.0 27.7 0.0 36.0 0.0 
			 Total 297.6 166.1 366.5 268.6 392.7 255.9 383.2 251.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Expenditure (£ mn) 
			  2010/11 2011/12 
			  GBS SBS GBS SBS 
			 Bangladesh 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Bolivia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cambodia 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Cameroon 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Ethiopia (1) 0.0 94.7 0.0 132.8 
			 Ghana 36.0 25.0 25.0 23.0 
			 India (2) 0.0 46.0 0.0 49.0 
			 Malawi 19.0 39.6 0.0 41.0 
			 Moldova 0.0 2.5 0.0 0.0 
			 Mozambique 48.2 28.6 48.0 21.4 
			 Nepal 0.0 7.0 0.0 7.0 
			 Nicaragua 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Niger 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Pakistan (3) 30.0 32.5 0.0 38.0 
			 Rwanda 35.8 10.5 37.0 21.3 
			 Sierra Leone 8.0 0.0 12.5 0.0 
			 Tanzania 103.5 0.0 50.0 30.0 
			 Uganda 27.2 0.0 20.0 5.0 
			 Vietnam 20.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 
			 Zambia 32.8 0.0 12.5 0.0 
			 Total 360.5 286.4 225.0 368.5 
		
	
	(1) Figures (to 2011/12) include the Protection of Basic Services (PBS) programme, which is a multi-sector budget support programme financed through a World Bank multi-donor trust fund started in January 2006 in response to the cancellation of General Budget Support in 2005. This support is only used to provide local level basic services and the programme includes a comprehensive package to strengthen financial management, transparency, monitoring and evaluation, and social accountability.
	(2) This provides support for health, nutrition, and water/sanitation programmes in three of India's poorest states-Bihar, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh
	(3) All support to the Government of Pakistan is earmarked to deliver specific results and outcomes within a sector, from the number of children enrolled in school, to the number of lives saved. Projects are subject to independent evaluation and have safeguards to track and monitor our funds.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government where UK Export Finance's spending that counted as overseas development assistance, as reported in the Department for International Development's annual report, went; and what the spending was on.

Baroness Northover: In its annual report and accounts 2011-12, DfID reported that the Export Credits Guarantee Department's (ECGD) contribution to UK overseas development assistance was £91 million. This sum was debt relief provided to the Democratic Republic of Congo under the terms of the international Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what types of funding are attributed to the eight sectors that the Department for International Development's annual report sets out for its bilateral aid spend in 2011-12.

Baroness Northover: DfID uses a range of funding types for its bilateral aid, and works to achieve results in a large number of sectors. The DfID annual report 2011-12 disaggregates our bilateral spending across 12 sectors (figure 2.1 on page 44).
	DfID chooses the funding type for its aid that is most appropriate for the specific set of development results being targeted and the local context in which we are operating. As a result, a range of funding types is used in each sector.
	The full range of bilateral and multilateral funding types used by DfID, and the sectors in which DfID works, is published in the statistics for international development (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/about-us/how-we-measure-progress/aid-statistics/statistics-on-international-development-2011/key-statistics/).

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Department for International Development (DfID) in Mozambique spent 1.2% of its budget on reproductive, maternal and newborn health there in the light of the statement in DfID's annual report that maternal mortality is the only Millennium Development Goal indicator severely off track in Mozambique.

Baroness Northover: Between April 2010 and March 2011, the Department for International Development (DflD) in Mozambique spent 23% of its budget on health, of which 1.2% went directly to reproductive, maternal and newborn health. In addition, spending on policy and administrative management, infectious disease control, health personnel development and sexually transmitted infections helped improve maternal and newborn health.
	In 2011, Britain's interventions in Mozambique resulted in 35,000 births being delivered with medical assistance; 1,700 pregnant women being treated for malaria; and improved access to modern methods of contraceptives for an additional 56,400 women.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government why, according to the annual report of the Department for International Development (DfID), DfID Sierra Leone spent 44.2 per cent of its budget on Global Partnerships in the light of the statement by DfID Sierra Leone's Operational Plan that there would be no spending on Global Partnerships but that roughly 44.3 per cent would go to governance and security.

Baroness Northover: There is an incorrect label on the pie-chart which illustrates 2011-12 spend by DfID Sierra Leone by sector in the annual report and accounts. While the underlying data is correct, the label "Global Partnerships" should instead have read "Governance & Security".
	The Parliamentary Journal Office was informed and approved an official corrections slip which was placed on record, distributed to recipients, and used to update the electronic version on the DfID website.

Overseas Aid

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government where the additional funding for the Conflict Pool in 2011-12 was found compared to the Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department Operational Plan published in June 2012 and the Department for International Development's annual report; whether other budgets were reduced to achieve this increase; and, if so, which budgets and by how much.

Baroness Northover: The Conflict Pool is funded from a Treasury settlement on conflict resources which is separate from and additional to DfID, FCO and MoD budgets. DfID's budget provides the resources for Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department's Operational Plan published in June 2012. Departmental budgets were not reduced to achieve the increase in the Conflict Pool's budget.
	Details of the Conflict Pool's resources for Financial Year 2011-12 were given in a Written Ministerial Statement laid before Parliament on 5 April 2011 (Commons Hansard 57-59WS).

Pakistan

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds they have ceased funding the work of the Rural Support Programme Network in Pakistan.

Baroness Northover: There has been no decision to cease funding of the Rural Support Programme Network's (RSPN) activities. The Department for International Development (DfID) originally helped to set up the RSPN in 2001 and provided core support to help build its institutional capacity. This programme came to an end in December 2010, when it was felt that RSPN was sustainable and well positioned to continue its innovative and successful work in rural poverty reduction. DfID continues to consider all competitive bids submitted by RSPN for programme specific support where it aligns with our priorities. RSPN has received funding to provide support to communities after the 2010 floods and to develop community mobilisation training as part of the UK's education programme in Punjab.

Police: Medals

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to awarding a posthumous bravery medal to PC Ian Dibell.

Lord Newby: It is not government policy to comment on such cases.

Private Sector: Cash Resources

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they estimate that cash resources held by private companies in the United Kingdom are increasing or decreasing.

Lord Newby: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary Question to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they estimate that cash resources held by private companies in the United Kingdom are increasing or decreasing. [BIS] HL2023.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes an annual United Kingdom National Accounts: The Blue Book which presents a full set of economic accounts, or national accounts, for the United Kingdom. Chapters 3 and 4 of the Blue Book comprise the fullest available set of accounts showing transactions by the private non-financial and financial sectors of the economy respectively. The Blue Book 2012 was published on 31 July 2012 and is available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/ united-kingdom-national-accounts/the-blue-book--2012-edition/index.html
	I have interpreted the term "cash resources" in your question as the most liquid assets held by private companies, which are "currency and deposits".
	Blue Book 2012 shows that total currency and deposits held by private non-financial corporations has increased annually since 2009 (shown in table 3.3.9 within the financial balance sheet for private non-financial corporations).
	Blue Book 2012 shows that total currency and deposits held by financial corporations has increased annually since 2009 (shown in table 4.1.9 within the financial balance sheet for financial corporations).
	The Blue Book also provides information on the net lending/borrowing position of private companies, which is the financial balance between their income and expenditure. If the financial balance of private companies is positive, they are net lenders and if it is negative, net borrowers.
	Blue Book 2012 shows, for private non-financial corporations, an annually increasing positive financial balance since 2008 (shown in table 3.3.8 within the financial account for private non-financial corporations).
	Blue Book 2012 shows that although since 2008 financial corporations have had a positive financial balance, this has subsequently decreased each year (shown in table 4.1.8 within the financial account for financial corporations).

Railways: Level Crossings

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many incidents have been recorded at railway level crossings in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up until the last year for which records are available.

Lord Newby: The information requested is listed in the table below:
	
		
			 Year Incidents Notes 
			 1996 0  
			 1997 0  
			 1998 3 Road vehicle collision 
			 1999 0  
			 2000 1 Road vehicle collision 
			 2001 1 Road vehicle collision 
			 2002 0  
			 2003 2 Road vehicle collision 
			 2004 2 Road vehicle collision 
			 2005 0  
			 2006 1 Road vehicle collision 
			 2007 0  
			 2008 0  
			 2009 2 Road vehicle collision 
			 2010 0  
			 2011 0  
			 Total 12

Republic of Ireland: Financial Support

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 28 June (WA 103-4), what tranches of the UK bilateral loan to the Republic of Ireland have been paid and when; when interest on tranches of loan were due and whether any interest has been paid to date; what is the current 7.5 year starting swap rate plus margin of 2.29%; what is the most recent average yield on gilt issuance; and whether interest in the new loan agreement is based on conventional gilts with an average nominal yield of 2% or index-linked gilts with an average real yield of 0.022%.

Lord Sassoon: As set out by the Financial Secretary in the statutory report on the bilateral loan to Ireland, which was published on 11 June 2012, the Treasury has disbursed three tranches of the bilateral loan. Tranches were disbursed on 14 October 2011, 30 January 2012 and 28 March 2012. Each disbursement was for £403,370,000, bringing the total amount disbursed to £1,210,110,000.
	Accumulated interest on the disbursed tranches of the loan is payable by Ireland on 15 December and 15 June each year, until the maturity date of the associated tranche. Under the existing interest rate, the Treasury received interest payments on 15 December 2011 and 15 June 2012.
	The Treasury will provide a further report, as required by the Loans to Ireland Act, as soon as is practicable following the next reporting period, which ends on 30 September 2012.
	The 7.5 year sterling swap rate on 28 March 2012, as used for the purposes of calculating the rate of interest applicable to the third tranche of the bilateral loan, was 2.098% per annum.
	The average yields on gilts issued by the Debt Management Office in the six months up to 19 July 2012, weighted by cash proceeds, were a nominal yield of 2.004% on conventional gilts and a real yield of 0.026% on index-linked gilts.
	As the Financial Secretary's Written Statement of 11 June outlined, agreement has been reached in principle on a new, lower interest rate on the bilateral loan to Ireland. This is subject to the loan agreement being revised to reflect the new interest rate. The Financial Secretary has committed to update Parliament once the revised loan agreement has been finalised and signed.

Roads: Traffic Offences

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many traffic offences were committed in Lincolnshire in each year from 1996 up until the last year for which records are available, and of which types.

Lord Henley: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office collects data on notifiable offences recorded by the police. Data are available only for offences such as causing death by dangerous driving; causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs; dangerous driving; and unlicensed drivers. Traffic offences relating to parking and speeding et cetera are not included in the police recorded crime data.
	Transport incidents are also on the national incident category list for the national standard for incident recording. However, as they form part of the "other incidents" category, they cannot be separately identified from data submitted to the Home Office by police forces.
	Information on fixed penalty notices issued by police in relation to motoring offences can be found in the Home Office's online statistical release Police Powers and Procedures, the latest of which relates to 2010/11 and can be accessed via: http:/Iwww.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/police-research/police-powers-procedures-2010/11.
	Data on court proceedings for motoring offences are published by the Ministry of Justice in statistical tables volume 6 of its online 'Criminal Justice Statistics' release, the latest of which can be accessed via: http://www.justice.gov.uk/statistics/criminal-justice/criminal-justice-statistics.

Rwanda

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take in order to contribute to help prevent officials of Rwanda from providing support to militia groups operating in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We have had, and continue to have, extensive high level contact with the Rwandan Government in Kigali and in the UK during which we have raised the UK's serious concerns about the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. If Rwanda has breached Security Council resolutions by breaking the United Nations' arms embargo, we will evaluate our position. Like its partners, the UK will continue to monitor the situation closely, on which basis it will consider any further action.

Rwanda

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether for the period 2011-15 the United Kingdom has allocated £344 million in bilateral aid to Rwanda; in the light of the Statement by Lord Howell of Guildford on 19 July (HL Deb, col. 333) that the report by the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo was "credible", whether this aid will be used as leverage in persuading Rwanda to desist from arming militias operating in the eastern Congo; and why this issue was not raised directly in recent talks between the Prime Minister and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

Baroness Northover: The United Kingdom has allocated £344 million in bilateral aid to Rwanda between 2011 and 2015. Over the last five years, a million Rwandans-one in five of those who were poor-have been lifted out of poverty. UK aid has contributed directly to this achievement and continued support can help to ensure that progress is sustained.
	The UK Government are concerned by the findings of the United Nations Group of Experts and we have raised these concerns with the Rwandan Government. All partner governments that receive UK aid must adhere to strict partnership principles. A planned general budget support disbursement of £l6 million has been delayed while the Secretary of State for International Development considers whether these expectations are still being met.
	The Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for International Development and the Foreign Secretary have urged Rwanda to play a constructive role in bringing peace and stability to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The UK will continue to use its development partnership with Rwanda and all diplomatic channels to ensure this happens.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of their decision to suspend long-term development aid to South Sudan, why they continue to provide development aid to Rwanda, in the light of the Statement by Lord Howell of Guildford on 19 July (HL Deb, col. 333) that the United Nations Group of Experts report on the Democratic Republic of Congo is "credible".

Baroness Northover: The UK Government remain fully committed to supporting the people of South Sudan, and have not made any reduction in our overall aid package for the country. Given the current economic and humanitarian conditions in South Sudan, the UK has refocused development assistance towards sustaining basic services and delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance.
	In Rwanda, UK aid has contributed directly to tremendous progress in reducing poverty and delivering much-needed services to poor people. The Government of Rwanda uses public funds and development aid well-both in terms of results achieved and in terms of anti-corruption safeguards and financial accountability. Over the past five years a million Rwandans-one in five of those who were poor-have been lifted out of poverty.
	The UK is, however, concerned by the findings of the United Nations Group of Experts and we have raised these concerns with the Rwandan Government. Whether and how much UK aid is disbursed to Rwanda will depend on assurances that Rwanda is abiding by the provisions governing UK aid to partner governments. A general budget support payment to Rwanda, planned for July, has been delayed while the Secretary of State for International Development considers whether these provisions are still being adhered to.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have information that counters the evidence produced by the United Nations Group of Experts that the Government of Rwanda are providing military aid and assistance to the M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We have seen no such information. We urge the Rwandan Government to engage constructively with the United Nations Group of Experts, and to respond transparently to the evidence presented in the addendum to their report.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any evidence provided by Ministers and others in the Government of Rwanda that convinces them that the allegations made by the United Nations Group of Experts that Rwanda is providing military assistance to the M23 rebels are unfounded; and, if so, what is that evidence.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We have not been provided with any such evidence. We continue to urge the Government of Rwanda to engage constructively and transparently with the United Nations Group of Experts.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with counterparts in the Government of the United States over their continuing provision of humanitarian, development, or military aid to Rwanda, in the light of the announcement by the United States Department of State that $200,000 in military aid is being withdrawn and re-allocated elsewhere.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are in regular contact with the United States on all aspects of policy on Rwanda and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether in the course of discussions at the United Nations leading to the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2053 they sought to include language calling for an arms embargo on Rwanda and an extension of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to include military operations against the M23 rebels active in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo; and, if so, which Security Council members opposed the inclusion of such language.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The primary task of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is to protect civilians. MONUSCO also provides assistance to government security forces in their efforts to complete military operations in the Kivus and Orientale Province, to reduce to a minimum the threat from all armed groups including M23 (March 23 Movement) and FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda) and restore stability. Discussions in the United Nations Security Council are closed proceedings, not for disclosure. However, we urge all parties, including Rwanda, to comply fully with the arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the Statement by Lord Howell of Guildford on 19 July (HL Deb, col. 333) that the report of the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo was "credible", what specific actions they have taken to use their influence as the third largest contributor of humanitarian aid to Rwanda to persuade the Government of Rwanda to cease their support for the armed rebellion in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Since 19 July, we have continued to raise our concerns at the highest level with the Rwandan Government. For example, our High Commissioner in Kigali has raised them with the President, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Foreign Minister.

Rwanda

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider the conclusions about the involvement of the Government of Rwanda in the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo in the recent UN Panel of Experts report indicate a breach of one of the Department for International Development's four partnership commitments for partner governments receiving budget support from the United Kingdom; and, if so, what action they are planning to take.

Baroness Northover: The UK is concerned by the findings of the United Nations Group of Experts and we have raised these concerns with the Rwandan Government. When serious concerns emerge which may constitute a breach of the partnership principles then these are closely assessed and discussed with all relevant parties. A 16 million general budget support payment to Rwanda which was planned for July has been delayed while the Secretary of State for International Development considers whether the partnership principles are still being adhered to.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about discussions between the Government of Rwanda and the United Nations Expert Panel concerning allegations of military and political support by Rwanda to the M23 Rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We understand that the Government of Rwanda invited the United Nations Group of Experts to visit Kigali on 28 July for discussions about their recent report. We are aware that discussions took place. The group will submit a further report about their visit to the United Nations Sanctions Committee.

Rwanda

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with counterparts in Rwanda about introducing legal guidance on supply chain due diligence for companies operating in Rwanda's domestic minerals market, to reduce the risks of Rwanda facilitating the trade in minerals to fund conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo by allowing those minerals to reach international markets.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The Secretary of State for International Development, my right honourable friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) and our High Commissioner raised this issue with the Rwandan Minister of Finance most recently in July. Our High Commissioner has also raised this issue with the Minister for the Environment Lands and Natural Resources and the Director General of the Natural Resources authority both bilaterally and in the company of other European Union Member States twice in the last three months. All discussions emphasised the potential for economic development offered by the legitimate trade in minerals produced within Rwanda and which may transit Rwanda from other states in the region, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Social Media

Baroness Linklater of Butterstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards and procedures are in place for the appropriate use of social media by staff in the children's secure estate in the public and private sectors.

Lord Newby: The Youth Justice Board commissions three sectors that form the children and young people's secure estate; secure children's homes, secure training centres and under 18 young offender institutions.
	For secure children's homes, the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 set out the principal provision that members of staff should be of integrity and good character. The Youth Justice Board's contractual specification further requires that staff will maintain safe, consistent and understandable boundaries for the children in relation to acceptable behaviour. This would extend to the appropriate use of social media. It is the relevant local authority that is responsible for setting staff conduct and ensuring that the use of information technology is appropriate.
	In secure training centres, staff are required to undertake appropriate recruitment and vetting in order to be certified as fit and proper to work with young people. The contractor must notify the Youth Justice Board immediately of any behaviour of, or action by, a custody officer which comes to its attention and casts doubt upon his or her fitness for certification as a custody officer. A staff handbook must be given to all staff that summarises employment terms and conditions. Such handbooks refer to appropriate use of information technology, e-mail and internet including social networking sites.
	Staff working in under 18 young offender institutions are required to comply with Section 91 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 that describes the wrongful disclosure of information about particular prisoners acquired by persons who are, or have been, employed at an institute, and the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts 1911, 1989. Under 18 young offender institutions must take all reasonable steps to ensure that all staff and sub-contractors are aware of these provisions and that they continue to apply after leaving employment.
	Contracts with private under 18 young offender institutions require staff not to disclose any information acquired during the course of that employment otherwise than in the proper discharge of their duties or as authorised. If, in the opinion of the National Offender Management Service, any allegation requires investigation then it can require the suspension of this person.
	A series of Prison Service instruments are also in place to guide and support the policing of behaviour in all young offender institutions to maintain high standards of personal and professional conduct.

South Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the latest estimates of South Sudanese returnees in 2011 and 2012; how many of those have arrived by river and how many over land; and what percentage of those are (1) resettled or (2) in camps.

Baroness Northover: According to figures from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) there have been 115,748 returnees in 2012, of an estimated total of 400,000 since October 2010. Of these, approximately 19,146 are currently stranded at four transit sites in Renk in Upper Nile State, the main entry point into South Sudan. A further 3,500 individuals are waiting at Kosti Railway station in White Nile State in Sudan. The final destinations for the returnees are Aweil in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and Wau in Western Bahr el-Ghazal State. In 2012, 23,920 have been moved by road (buses and trucks), 19,000 were moved by air and some 5,500 by barge. Currently options are being explored to move the remainder by train. However, there are a number of logistical and security challenges. We have allocated £10 million to WFP for the pre-positioning of food in South Sudan, some of which will assist the returnees. We have also pre-approved another £5 million in case of a sudden inflow of further returnees. In 2011 the UK also contributed £2.36 million ($3.8 million) through the Common Humanitarian Fund and Central Emergency Response Fund to assist returnees.

South Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received reports regarding the number of South Sudanese returnees arriving each week by river at Bentiu in Unity State; which aid agencies are assisting them, there or at nearby way stations, with food, drinking water and shelter; and what contribution the UK is making.

Baroness Northover: The recent influx to Yida camp has gone down to approximately 250 people per day from about 1,000 per day. The response is co-ordinated by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. World Food Programme (WFP) is in charge of provision of food supplies. Agencies operating in the area include numerous international health NG0s, focused on health and nutrition, such as Médecins Sans Frontières and Goal. The two greatest challenges are access due to recent heavy rains and lack of roads and the health of the population. DfID has allocated over £45 million to the humanitarian response in South Sudan through our support to the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the WFP. We are also providing support through our contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

South Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is being provided to address the needs of South Sudanese returnees in Km18, Jamam and Batil camps in Upper Nile state; and through which aid agencies.

Baroness Northover: A range of support is being provided across the Km 18, Jamam and Batil camps, including water and sanitation, health, food, and nutrition services. Responding agencies include Oxfam, International Medical Corps, Médecins Sans Frontières, Goal, World Food Programme and United Nations Office for Project Services. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is responsible for the overall refugee response. The UK remains one of the leading donors to the humanitarian response in South Sudan's refugee camps. My honourable. friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Stephen O'Brien, visited the Jamam camp in April to assess conditions. DfID has allocated over £45 million to the humanitarian response in South Sudan, which includes support for refugees, through our support to the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), ICRC and the World Food Programme. DfID is also providing support through our contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Most recently we have worked with our partners in the CHF to open a $10 million emergency response window to ensure rapid support is available to address the crisis. DfID is in close contact with UNHCR, their NGO partners and the Government of South Sudan on the situation, and HMA Juba again raised the issue with Vice-President Machar on 13 July.

South Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have provided to the Audit Chamber of South Sudan in compiling the annual reports required by its constitutional mandate.

Baroness Northover: The UK has provided support for the Audit Chamber of South Sudan through the World Bank managed Multi-donor Trust Fund (MDTF) and through the Joint Donor Office in Juba. This assistance has enabled the Audit Chamber to fulfill its functions more effectively, including the production of annual reports. The UK is also initiating a bilateral programme of accountability support to the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission (SSACC).

South Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the Government of South Sudan about taking action on the findings of the annual reports recently presented by its Audit Chamber.

Baroness Northover: The UK, together with its Troika partners, US and Norway, and the EU, hold a regular high level dialogue with a group of senior Ministers of the Government of South Sudan, with a strong focus on tackling corruption. UK officials regularly raise corruption concerns, such as those highlighted in the recent Audit Chamber reports, in other meetings with government Ministers and officials, including most recently with the Vice President, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, and the President's Economic Adviser.

Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood that the Government of Sudan will honour the commitments made on 27 June on access for humanitarian aid to South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states.

Baroness Northover: We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in the two states and the condition of refugees on arrival in South Sudan. We have been lobbying the Government of Sudan to accept the United Nations, Arab League and African Union tripartite proposal for the delivery of humanitarian assistance since it was proposed in November 2011. This approach is also reiterated in the African Union road map and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046. The latter also calls for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to accept the proposal. We welcome the Government of Sudan's statement of 27 June. The important issue is to see full access according to humanitarian principles, meaning full access to competent neutral humanitarian agencies. thereby ensuring that the necessary support reaches all areas of these regions. including rebel-held areas. The UK is working closely with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to ensure every opportunity for delivering assistance to those who need it is explored. We will continue to urge the Government to accept and implement the agreement in full.

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there have been any improvements in the political environment for humanitarian agencies working in Darfur; and which UK-assisted aid agencies are still able to work there.

Baroness Northover: We remain deeply concerned over the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur. Continued restrictions of access across Darfur have resulted in the withdrawal of some non-governmental organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières from North Darfur. We continue to press the Government of Sudan to allow full, unfettered access. The UK provides direct funding to United Nations Environment Programme/United Nations Office for Project Services, RedR, and United Nations Development Programme to deliver programmes in Darfur. We also provide funding to Darfur through the Sudan Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) which funds international and Sudanese organisations to deliver programmes across Darfur. Last year DfID provided £50 million to the CHF and a significant proportion of this funding was spent in Darfur.

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects for sustainable agricultural development in Darfur.

Baroness Northover: DfID remains committed to sustainable development in Darfur and believes that sustainable agricultural development in Darfur would both have positive lasting impacts for the people of Darfur and support the Sudanese economy. However until the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur is fully implemented and the region is stable it will be difficult to achieve sustainable agricultural development in Darfur. DfID currently funds the United Nations Environment Programme and the Feinstein International Center to provide advisory support to a national non-governmental organisation in Sudan, to set up and manage a community-based market monitoring network in the Darfur Region. The goal of this initiative is to understand trade and markets in Darfur for key agricultural and livestock commodities; identify how livelihoods and the economy can be supported through trade; and identify peace-building opportunities through trade.

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reports they have received on the progress of the development initiatives outlined in the East Sudan Development Conference in Kuwait in December 2010; and what assessment they have made of the prospects for development in the eastern region.

Baroness Northover: DfID has consistently urged the Government of Sudan to honour the commitments made at the Kuwait conference in 2010 to allow unhindered access for non-governmental organisations and humanitarian and development workers in Eastern Sudan. It is therefore concerning that the Sudanese Government chose to close down seven international non government organisations' programmes in East Sudan. This decision has consequences for the humanitarian and development programmes in the East, and may impact on the prospects for development in the region. Development in eastern Sudan would have a positive impact on development across Sudan and would also help further stabilise the region. A number of bilateral donors, the UK included, are in the process of evaluating whether it is possible to set up new programmes. There are also a number of projects already under way funded by Arab donors in the wake of the Kuwait conference.

Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made representations about the arrest of Nahid Gabralla on 3 July by the Sudanese National Intelligence Security Service; whether they consider this to be related to her role in leading a protest against the trial of Lubna Hussein, who is on trial for illegally wearing trousers; what assessment they have made of the alleged use of torture at Omdurman Prison where she is held; and whether, when they participate in meetings to promote trade and business deals in Sudan, they intend to alert participants to the treatment of Nahid Gabralla and other human rights campaigners detained in Sudanese prisons.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are very concerned about the case of Nahid Gabralla who was detained in Khartoum on 3 July. The cause of her detention has not been confirmed, but it seems to be part of the Government of Sudan's wider crackdown on protestors and human rights activists in recent weeks. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my honourable friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham) specifically expressed his deep concern over Nahid's case during his meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ali Karti, in the margins of the AU Summit on 14 July. Officials at our embassy in Khartoum have also raised their concerns over the case with Presidential Assistant Abdrahman Sadiq al-Mandi and have been liaising with Amnesty International on advocacy efforts. As Mr Bellingham made clear in his statement of 26 June, we urge the Government of Sudan to release those recently detained while engaged in peaceful protest, and for the security forces to act with restraint and avoid the use of force in responding to peaceful demonstrations. (The full text of Mr Bellingham's statement can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website: www.fco.,gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=780225182.)
	Our embassy in Khartoum has a trade section that consists of one commercial officer who is locally employed. This section does not proactively promote British trade with Sudan but is, however, ready to respond to enquiries and requests for assistance from British companies interested in the Republic of Sudan. When we speak to British companies considering doing business in Sudan, we give a full picture of the political situation in the country. Human rights issues are regularly raised when embassy officials meet with the Government of Sudan.

Sudan and South Sudan

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking in response to the humanitarian and refugee situation in Sudan and South Sudan.

Baroness Northover: DfID is greatly concerned at the humanitarian situation in both Sudan and South Sudan, and the effect the ongoing conflict in the border areas is having on the high number of refugees crossing the border into South Sudan. The UK remains one of the leading donors to the humanitarian response in South Sudan's refugee camps. We have now allocated over £45 million to the humanitarian response in South Sudan, which includes support for refugees, through our support to the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Food Programme (WFP). We are also providing support through our contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Most recently we have worked with our partners in the CHF to open a $10 million emergency response window to ensure rapid support is available to address the crisis.
	DfID has allocated over £22 million to the humanitarian response in Sudan this year. Much of this is delivered through the CHF, but we also directly fund ICRC, and international non-governmental organisation partners. We have the option to provide more to the WFP in the border areas, and the CHF, as needs are identified.
	DfID has been lobbying the Government of Sudan to accept the United Nations, Arab League and African Union tripartite proposal for the unconstrained delivery of humanitarian assistance in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile State since it was proposed in November 2011. This approach is also reiterated in the African Union Roadmap and the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046; the latter also calls for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North to accept the proposal.
	DfID welcomes the Government of Sudan's statement of 27 June. The important issue is to see full access according to humanitarian principles, meaning full access to competent neutral humanitarian agencies, thereby ensuring that the necessary support reaches all areas of these regions, including rebel-held areas. The UK is working closely with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, to ensure every opportunity for delivering assistance to those who need it is explored. DfID will continue to urge the Government to accept and implement the agreement in full.

Sudan and South Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Howell of Guildford on 23 July (WA 122-3), whether (1) the Government of South Sudan, and (2) the Government of Sudan, are preventing "full humanitarian access" to those affected by the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile; if so, in what ways in each case; what steps they are taking to ensure that such access is permitted; and whether those steps include withholding a portion of Department for International Development aid from the Government of Sudan until access is permitted.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The best chance of achieving full humanitarian access to those in need in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states will be through a cessation of hostilities in both areas, and the lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian agencies, so that they are able to operate freely and impartially across those areas. The Governments of Sudan and South Sudan both have roles to play in allowing this to happen. As set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046, we are pressing the Government of South Sudan to halt all support to opposition movements in Sudan, which only fuels conflict in the border areas, and pushing the Government of Sudan to immediately implement the United Nations-African Union-Arab League Proposal for delivering and monitoring aid, so that assistance is given to those who need it without delay. We are working closely with our international partners to apply pressure on both governments, and supporting the African Union High Level Implementation Panel as they facilitate discussions of these issues.
	The UK does not channel any development funding or assistance through the Government of Sudan, but rather delivers its programmes and projects through international partners in order to tackle the underlying causes of conflict and assist Sudan's poorest and most needy. To withhold such assistance based on the actions of the Government would be at odds with these objectives, and cause greater suffering for the people of Sudan.

Sudan and South Sudan

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to ensure that any new oil deal reached following ongoing negotiations is transparent and independently verified.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK remains fully committed to supporting the implementation of the African Union Roadmap and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046 between Sudan and South Sudan, which includes the need for an agreement on arrangements concerning oil and associated payments. We have consistently argued for transparency in any deal and have supported proposals for independent international verification. We welcome the recent progress on petroleum legislation in South Sudan, which contains provisions on tendering, contracting and reporting, including of revenue flows, that form a basis for significantly improved transparency and accountability in the sector.

Sudan and South Sudan

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any contingency plans to assist with the provision of humanitarian aid to displaced peoples in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State, if a political settlement is not reached as a result of the forthcoming talks between the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan.

Baroness Northover: The UK has already funded £5 million for the World Food Programme to preposition and distribute food stocks to 315,000 people in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. In addition, we have contributed £1.8 million for humanitarian assistance through national NGOs in these two states. The majority of our humanitarian funding goes through the UN Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in Sudan and we will support a co-ordinated CHF response if access were to open up. We have also allocated over £45 million to the humanitarian response in South Sudan, which includes support for refugees from South Kordofan and Blue Nile states. It remains imperative that there should be an immediate cessation of hostilities, unrestricted humanitarian access, and a political process to address the causes of the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2046.

Taxation: Income Tax

Lord Hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they plan to introduce to give effect to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's commitment in the Budget Statement to deal with the unlimited use by the rich of income tax reliefs to avoid or to reduce their liability to taxation.

Lord Sassoon: The Government announced at Budget 2012 a proposal to introduce a limit on all previously uncapped income tax reliefs from April 2013.
	A consultation document on the delivery of the relief cap has now been published and is available on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_income tax_relief_cap.htm
	The consultation invites comments on the implementation and delivery of the cap including, in particular, responses to: how an individual's income will be defined and calculated for the purposes of the cap; when the cap will apply; how reliefs will be ordered; and the operation of the cap through income tax self-assessment.
	Following the consultation, draft legislation will be published in the autumn.

Trees: Ivy

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the threat to the growth and survival of trees in the United Kingdom by the spread of ivy of the family Araliaceae; whether they will encourage its removal; and whether they are funding any research on the impact of the spread of that ivy and of possible measures to address that spread.

Lord Newby: We do not consider ivy to be a threat to our trees. Though we are aware there is a view that ivy kills trees, there is no strong scientific evidence to substantiate this. Cases where ivy has been blamed for the death of a tree have been investigated and other problems have been found to account for the tree's decline.
	Ivy is very valuable in providing roost sites and sometimes hibernation sites for birds, bats and invertebrates. It also provides valuable late nectar and berry sources and is a specialised dead wood resource in its own right. We have no plans to encourage its removal: this is a decision for individual land owners and managers. We are not currently carrying out any research into the impact and spread of ivy.

UK Border Agency

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what grounds they agreed the recent payment to Brodie Clark, formerly of the UK Border Agency, in a pre-tribunal settlement.

Lord Henley: This information was provided in both the UK Border Agency and the Home Office accounts, which were laid before Parliament on 12 July 2012.

Atos Healthcare

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Atos Healthcare has set targets or been given targets by the Department for Work and Pensions for the numbers of claimants who pass the work capability assessment; and whether any such targets are applied (1) on a national basis, (2) for each Atos centre, or (3) for individual registered medical practitioners employed by Atos Healthcare.

Lord Freud: Atos Healthcare does not have performance targets or incentives with regard to the number of people qualifying for benefit. Atos Healthcare provides the relevant reports for DWP decision-makers but plays no part in the actual decision-making process.

Benefits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what non-contributory benefits are currently paid to people who do not reside in the United Kingdom; what is the annual total paid in relation to each of those benefits to such people; and under what conditions they are eligible or continue to be eligible when outside the United Kingdom.

Lord Freud: The annual total paid to people who do not reside in the United Kingdom in relation to each non-contributory benefit is given in the table below. Figures are not available for the costs of paying child benefit and/or the child tax credit in these circumstances.
	
		
			  2010-11 
			 Non-Contributory Benefit £m 
			 Attendance Allowance 3 
			 Carers Allowance 0 
			 Disability Living Allowance 11 
			 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit 12 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 2 
			 Category D Pension 1 
			 Winter Fuel Payments 16 
		
	
	Notes
	1) Figures are in nominal terms
	2) Figures have been rounded to nearest £m
	3) Figures may include a very small amount of expenditure where the claimant's residence is not known.
	EU rules require us to pay certain non-contributory benefits to people who are resident in the EEA or Switzerland. Those rules are contained in the Social Security Co-ordination Regulations (EC Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009). They mean that in some circumstances, benefits may be payable to persons residing in other member states, for example, to cross-border workers who are employed or self-employed in the UK and to persons resident in another member state who are in receipt of a UK contributory benefit such as UK state pension or contributions-based ESA.
	The relevant entitlement conditions for each benefit are:
	Disability living allowance (care component only), attendance allowance or carer's allowance are payable to people who live in another EEA member state or Switzerland. The conditions under which they can receive or continue to receive the benefit in these circumstances are that the UK must be the responsible state for payment under EU law, for example the person is a UK worker or pensioner, and that they must be able to demonstrate a genuine and specific link to the UK's social security system. Members of Her Majesty's forces serving abroad are paid disability living allowance and carer's allowance as they are deemed to meet the residence and presence conditions for these benefits.
	The entitlement conditions for winter fuel payments are that a person must be resident within the EEA or Switzerland, have reached the age at which women can claim state pension and have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK's social security system.
	Industrial injuries disablement benefit, industrial death benefit, and retirement allowance can continue to be paid without restriction outside the UK provided the person still satisfies the conditions of entitlement. Reduced earnings allowance (and the increases to disablement benefit: CAA and unemployability supplement) can continue in payment under domestic legislation where the absence is only temporary, although these may still be payable if a person travels to an EEA country and comes within the provisions of EU legislation.
	Also, a person living abroad can become eligible for industrial injuries disablement benefit if they have been injured as a result of an industrial accident, or contracted one of the prescribed industrial diseases, arising from working as an employed earner while they were in GB.
	Severe disablement allowance can continue to be paid to people who live in another EEA member state or Switzerland under the provisions of the EU Co- ordination Regulations.
	Category D retirement pension is a non-contributory pension payable to people who are aged 80 and over and not entitled to a category A or B state pension at an equivalent or higher rate. Once entitlement is established category D pensions are payable worldwide on the same terms and conditions as other categories of state pension.
	In order to qualify for a category D pension the individual must:
	have been resident in GB for a period of at least 10 years in any continuous period of 20 years which includes the day before their 80th birthday or any later date; and be ordinarily resident in GB on the day they reached age 80 or the date of claim for the pension if later.
	Under the terms of the EU social security co-ordination rules a person does not have to be ordinarily resident in GB if they are resident in the EEA and Switzerland.
	Child benefit and the child tax credit are payable to persons residing in the EEA or Switzerland, where the UK is the responsible state for payment under EU law. This would include payment to UK workers and pensioners.
	Child benefit and the child tax credit are also payable to UK Crown servants posted overseas (eg Armed Forces personnel, members of the Diplomatic Service) or their accompanying spouse or partner, provided that just before the posting the Crown servant was either ordinarily resident in the UK or was present in the UK immediately prior to the posting and in connection with that posting.
	Child benefit is covered by some of the UK's bilateral social security agreements, namely Barbados, Canada, Israel, Jersey and Guernsey, Mauritius, New Zealand and the former Yugoslavia. Under some of these bilateral agreements (eg with Barbados and the former Yugoslavia), UK child benefit may be payable if the person responsible for the child (or their spouse) is still paying UK national insurance contributions.
	We do not have estimates of the total annual cost of paying child benefit and/or the child tax credit in the circumstances outlined above.

Benefits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost of paying social security benefits to those aged 16 and 17; which benefits are involved and under what conditions; what child allowance payments can be made on behalf of children of that age; on behalf of how many children are such payments made; and how much is paid on their behalf annually.

Lord Freud: The cost of paying social security benefits to those aged 16 and 17 is broken down in the following table:
	
		
			 Payments to 16 and 17 yr olds 2010-11 
			 Income Support £49m 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance £11m 
			 Housing benefit £59m 
			 Disability Living Allowance £191m 
			 Employment and Support Allowance £18m 
			 Carer's Allowance £4m 
			 Total £332m 
		
	
	Young people under 18 can only qualify for welfare benefits in certain circumstances eg young parents, carers, people with disabilities, the long-term sick and young people who are estranged from their parents or carers and in full-time non-advanced education. Further information on this can be found at: http:// www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/Money/FinancialHelpForYoungPeople/DG_10027506.
	We estimate DWP made £73 million of child element payments through income support in respect of 16 and 17 year-olds in 2011-12.
	The information regarding children aged 16 and 17 included in child benefit claims is already published and can be found at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug11.pdf.
	The information on child tax credit and further breakdown of child allowance payments is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We do not consider it feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit.

Benefits

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they propose to cease publication of the Annual Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up Report.

Lord Freud: We are considering discontinuing the publication of Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up. This would mean that the last publication in this series was February 2012, covering the period 2009-10. This proposal reflects a number of factors:
	there has been an increased demand for new statistics to measure new policies in relation to welfare reform and other departmental priorities;take-up statistics are published as ranges that are relatively wide in relation to the range locations. This feature limits the usefulness of the statistics because of the associated uncertainty and difficulty in identifying trends over time. In particular users are currently warned that pension credit estimates should be treated with caution due to small sample sizes. Uncertainty is set to increase for results published from 2011-12 because the Family Resources Survey sample size has fallen from 25,000 to 20,000;the relevance of Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up as a statistical series for existing benefits is limited because many of these benefits will be replaced by universal credit. Universal credit is scheduled to be introduced in October 2013 with full migration scheduled to take place over several years. Other benefits are also being reformed in the coming years; andincreasing demands on our limited number of statistical staff means that we need to make difficult decisions on where this resource is best deployed.
	The full consultation document is available online at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/income_analysis/ july_2012/take_up_irb_consultation.pdf.

BFI National Archives

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the continuation of the funding of the BFI National Archives under the Broadcasting Act 1950 and the Communications Act 2003 to ensure the United Kingdom retains a record of the output of the commercial public service broadcasters for the foreseeable future.

Lord Newby: The National Television Archive is an important part of our screen heritage. It is important that the British Film Institute (BFI) is in a position to be able to look after the legacy collections, including material broadcast on television. Ofcom has determined an appropriate contribution by the commercial public service broadcasters for 2012-13 and will consider their contribution for 2013-14 in due course. We will also consider the longer-term contribution of funding to the BFI by broadcasters as part of the Government's communications review.

Civil Service: Staff

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, how many civil servants in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, (a) joined, and (b) left, the department in each of the past five years for which figures are available, and what percentage each represented as a percentage of the number in post in each category at the end of each year.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, what was the average age of civil servants, in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, in each of the past five years for which figures are available, and what was the average age of (a) joiners, and (b) leavers, in each category in each year.

Lord Sassoon: The answers to the questions are provided in the following tables:
	
		
			 Joiners 
			 Period Senior civil service (SCS) joiners As a % of number in post at year end Average age of SCS joiners Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 As a % of number in post at year end Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 
			 2007-08 17 16% 43 78 23% 35 
			 2008-09 14 13% 43 83 22% 36 
			 2009-10 21 16% 43 91 22% 35 
			 2010-11 5 5% 41 46 12% 33 
			 2011-12 4 4% 41 50 14% 37 
		
	
	
		
			 Leavers 
			 Period Senior civil service (SCS) joiners As a % of number in post at year end Average age of SCS leavers Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 As a % of number in post at year end Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 
			 2007-08 33 31% 45 128 38% 37 
			 2008-09 27 25% 45 75 19% 37 
			 2009-10 14 11% 43 79 19% 38 
			 2010-11 22 20% 45 83 21% 39 
			 2011-12 18 19% 46 98 27% 37 
		
	
	
		
			 Average age of civil servants 
			 Period Average age of SCS Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 
			 2007-08 43 37 
			 2008-09 42 37 
			 2009-10 43 37 
			 2010-11 43 37 
			 2011-12 43 37 
		
	
	The data requested for the Government Economic Service are not recorded separately from other staff grades and therefore this element of the question could be answered only at a disproportionate cost.

Civil Service: Staff

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, what was the average total remuneration per head of civil servants in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, in each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Lord Sassoon: The average total remuneration per head of civil servants in HM Treasury for 2010-11 and 2011-12 is as follows:
	
		
			  2010-11 (£) 2011-12 (£) 
			 Senior civil service 81,962 80,883 
			 Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7 51,132 50,565 
		
	
	Figures for prior years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The salaries of those working at the Treasury in the Government Economic Service are not recorded separately from other staff.

Climate Change

The Duke of Montrose: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the certificates of exemption from the climate change levy for those involved in the production of combined heat and power are to be withdrawn from 1 April 2013.

Lord Sassoon: State aid approval for the levy exemption certificate expires on 1 April 2013. There is recognition among many in the energy industry that the exemption was not a well targeted form of support for combined heat and power (CHP). It was also costly to the taxpayer and administratively complex.
	At Budget 2012, the Government announced that companies will have five years to draw down certificates obtained before 1 April 2013. They also announced that input fuels used to generate heat in CHPs will be exempt from the carbon price floor. The Department for Energy and Climate Change is looking at the long-term future of support for CHP electricity as part of wider energy policy options.

Council Tax

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total financial outturn on council tax benefit (1) in cash terms, and (2) in real terms, in each of the financial years 1997-98 to 2010-11 inclusive.

Lord Freud: The information you requested is in the table below:
	
		
			  Cash Terms 2012-13 prices 
			 1997-98 2,395 3,329 
			 1998-99 2,452 3,362 
			 1999-00 2,511 3,373 
			 2000-01 2,575 3,445 
			 2001-02 2,686 3,529 
			 2002-03 2,834 3,628 
			 2003-04 3,223 4,042 
			 2004-05 3,557 4,336 
			 2005-06 3,774 4,509 
			 2006-07 3,941 4,557 
			 2007-08 4,027 4,552 
			 2008-09 4,234 4,647 
			 2009-10 4,698 5,064 
			 2010-11 4,925 5,169 
		
	
	These figures are consistent with the latest published expenditure outturn available at: http://research.dwp. gov.uk/asd/asd4/budget_2012_200712.xls.

Council Tax

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the proportionate increase in total financial outturn on council tax benefit (1) in cash terms, and (2) in real terms, in each of the financial years 1997-98 to 2010-11 inclusive.

Lord Freud: The information you requested is in the table below:
	
		
			  Cash Terms 2012-13 prices 
			 1997-98 3.5% 0.9% 
			 1998-99 2.4% 1.0% 
			 1999-00 2.4% 0.3% 
			 2000-01 2.5% 2.1% 
			 2001-02 4.3% 2.4% 
			 2002-03 5.5% 2.8% 
			 2003-04 13.7% 11.4% 
			 2004-05 10.4% 7.3% 
			 2005-06 6.1% 4.0% 
			 2006-07 4.4% 1.1% 
			 2007-08 2.2% -0.1% 
			 2008-09 5.2% 2.1% 
			 2009-10 10.9% 9.0% 
			 2010-11 4.8% 2.1% 
		
	
	These figures are consistent with the latest published expenditure outturn available at: http://research.dwp. gov.uk-asd-asd4-budget_2012_200712.xls.

Education: 16-19 Bursary

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what has been the take-up of the 16-19 bursary in England (1) in each local authority, and (2) within each local authority, according to ethnicity.

Lord Newby: The 16-19 bursary fund has been operating since the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year. Data on bursary fund payments during 2011-12 are being collected at local authority and individual institutional level and will be available in early 2013.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government what communications they have issued to employers in respect of the Youth Contract, and whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all such communications.

Lord Freud: There have been three mailings to over 350,000 employers to promote the youth contract and three products created for local marketing to employers by Jobcentre Plus. I will place copies of all products in the Library.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of new jobs which will be created as a result of the Youth Contract.

Lord Freud: The youth contract, worth almost £1 billion, was introduced in April 2012 and will provide nearly half a million new opportunities to young unemployed people over the next three years. The youth contract builds on existing support available through Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme, enabling young unemployed people to look for work, gain work experience and skills, and find real, lasting jobs.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of eight-week payments that have been issued as part of the wage incentive of the Youth Contract.

Lord Freud: The youth contract, including wage incentives, went live in April 2012. From this point any young person attached to the Work Programme could be placed into work with a wage incentive being offered to the employer. In most cases, wage incentives are paid after a young person has been in work continuously for 26 weeks. We will pay small employers a proportion of the wage incentive after eight weeks and where young people leave posts after 13 weeks but before week 26, we will pay half of the wage incentive.
	Wage incentives are paid after 26 weeks because the aim is to incentivise employment into real, sustainable jobs, largely within the private sector. The volumes of wage incentives we pay after 26 weeks of work will show the number of young people who have benefited from this policy by entering real and sustainable jobs. Following the collection and quality assurance of this data, I expect the first set of official statistics on the wage incentive to be available from early 2013. The department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

Freedom of Information

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government by what date the Freedom of Information team at HM Revenue and Customs intends to reply to the letter of appeal against a refusal to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from Segesta Ltd dated 16 May.

Lord Sassoon: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued a reply to the letter of appeal from Segesta Ltd on 25 July 2012.

Higher Education: Loans

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government , further to the Written Statement by the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Learning, John Hayes, on 12 July (Official Report, col. 35-6WS), whether they are planning to run a national advertising campaign to publicise the new system of loans for adult students in further education; and, if so, how much funding they will devote to such a campaign.

Baroness Wilcox: We want to ensure that potential learners eligible for loans have the facts they need to make an informed choice. We will use a broad range of routes to communicate with potential learners, including the National Careers Service, colleges and training organisations, employers and trade union representatives. We will also use routes to communicate with specific groups such as prisoners and the unemployed.
	We are developing information materials for potential learners which will be available through these routes, drawing on the research published by BIS on 11 May on learner attitudes to loans, and on further research with learners. We are also looking at whether there are additional activities that we can undertake at a national level to ensure that learners have the information they need about loans. The communications budget will reflect the outcome of this work.

House of Lords: Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint is authorised to speak on all matters relating to his department.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: As Minister of State for Trade and Investment, I am responsible for the development and implementation of cross-government strategy for trade and inward investment. I am Minister of State in both the department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing advice on trade and investment to the Foreign Secretary and the Business Secretary.
	I am spokesman for the Government on trade and investment matters in the House of Lords.

Housing: Insurance

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord De Mauley on 18 July (Official Report, col. 224), what action they are taking to promote insurance-with-rent schemes for people with low incomes in the private rented sector.

Lord Sassoon: Insurance-with-rent schemes have been a part of financial inclusion work targeted at the social rented sector. While there are no current plans to extend these schemes into the private rented sector, we are working with the insurance industry and other stakeholders to explore how best to support innovative community-level approaches to addressing the availability of affordable flood insurance.

Internet: 4G Spectrum

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the licence fees for the use of 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum for each licensee if they were calculated to reflect full market value according to Ofcom's proposed methodology and using the German and Italian 800MHz spectrum auctions outcome as a proxy for the 4G auction.

Lord Newby: The setting of licence fees is a matter for the regulator, Ofcom. The Government directed Ofcom in December 2010, once the 4G auction was completed, to revise the licence fees to reflect the full market value of the frequencies and to have particular regard to the sums bid for licences in the auction in setting the revised level of the fees. We remain convinced that this approach is the best way of setting market-based fees for the spectrum in question. Ofcom has set out in its recent statement on the auction how it is likely to approach setting annual licence fees but it will consult on the exact methodology after the auction.

Internet: Broadband

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide a breakdown by licensee of the fees paid to Ofcom in the financial year 2011-12 for the use of spectrum holdings under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998.

Lord Newby: This is a matter for the regulator, Ofcom. However, officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have consulted Ofcom which has advised that it will not provide a breakdown by licensee as a matter of course.

National Insurance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 4 July (WA 178-80), what is the total number of national insurance numbers issued from 2004-05 to date to adult overseas nationals from (1) EU candidate countries, (2) EU countries, and (3) non-EU countries; what was the percentage rise from 2009-10 to 2010-11 for (a) EU candidate countries, (b) EU countries, and (c) non-EU countries, and the overall percentage rise; and what were the reasons for the increase in 2010-11.

Lord Freud: The table below provides NINo registration data for each of the categories requested from April 2004. There is no information available that would provide definitive reasons for the increase in national insurance registrations in 2010-11.
	
		
			 NINo Registrations to Adult Overseas Nationals entering the UK (Thousands): 
			 Time Series-Financial Year of Registration Date by World Area of Origin. 
			  2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 (Not Complete) % difference between 2009-10 and 2010-11 
			 EU candidate countries 5,370 4,740 5,470 6,330 6,800 5,690 7,200 3,270 26.5 
			 All EU countries 197,550 374,540 420,240 439,900 377,190 274,150 359,710 267,710 31.2 
			 Non EU countries 232,430 283,780 280,130 286,860 302,120 292,900 338,000 194,620 15.4 
			 Total of all countries 435,350 663,060 705,840 733,090 686,110 572,740 704,910 465,600 23.1 
		
	
	Source: 100% extract from National Insurance Recording and Pay As You Earn System Notes:
	1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10 percentages to one decimal place. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding method used. Data are cumulative from 1 January 2002 unless otherwise specified (eg time-series, subset). Data for 2011-12 are from April to December 2011.
	2. Registration date is derived from the date at which a NINo is maintained on the National Insurance Recording and Pay As You Earn System.
	3. Time Series-Financial Year of Registration Date Years are Financial based (1 Apr-31 Mar).
	4. World Area of Origin is based on a client's nationality. For consistency of reporting, EU-Accession States includes A8 (Republic of Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia), Al0 (Malta and Cyprus) and A2 (Bulgaria and Romania) for the entire Back Series including the periods before Accession and after transitional arrangements have ended. European Union includes the Accession States for this analysis.
	5. European Union is made up of the following: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Republic of Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Bulgaria.
	6. EU Candidate Countries are: Iceland, the Former Yugoslavia-Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
	7. The source data for this analysis are available on the department's website at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/ index.php?page=tabtool.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, after the end of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, any Minister will have designated oversight of the Olympic legacy.

Lord Newby: After the Games, various Ministers will, as now, be accountable for legacy programmes for which their departments are responsible. For Government, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, along with the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, will retain oversight of the delivery of the legacy as a whole.

Pensions

Baroness Drake: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much revenue they estimate would be raised by reducing the lifetime allowance for pensions tax relief to (1) £1.25 million, (2) £1 million, (3) £750,000 or (4) £500,000, in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15, (c) 2015-16, or (d) 2016-17.

Lord Sassoon: Large changes to the lifetime allowance would result in substantial behavioural effects that could be estimated only at disproportionate cost. As a result, no estimates are available.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether current account surpluses were recorded in the accounts of (1) the NHS Superannuation Scheme, and (2) the Teacher Superannuation Scheme, in the past three years; whether any such surpluses were returned to HM Treasury; and whether other public sector pension schemes have returned surpluses to HM Treasury in the last three years.

Lord Sassoon: The annual accounts for the National Health Service (NHS) Superannuation Scheme can be found at the following website: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs. uk/Pensions/Valuation.aspx. The accounts show that income exceeded expenditure for 2010-11, but did not for the previous two years.
	The annual accounts for the Teacher Superannuation Scheme can be found at the following website: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/Schools SO/Page8/HC%20988. These accounts also show that income exceeded expenditure for 2010-11, but did not for the previous two years.
	Both the NHS Superannuation Scheme and the Teacher Superannuation Scheme are unfunded pension schemes. This means that pension contributions are paid by employers and employees but these are not used to build up a fund in order to provide the means to meet the liability when it falls due, but rather used to pay current pensions. As these schemes are unfunded, this means that these "surpluses" for 2010-11 are notional and are shown in the accounts to reduce the liability. For details of other public sector pension schemes, please go to the relevant accounts which can be found on the relevant websites.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government , further to the Written Answer by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 26 June (WA 57-8), what were the percentage increases in expenditure by Ofcom per annum since its establishment, with and without pension repair payments; whether Ofcom is or was subject to cuts in funding since that date; whether permission was sought by Ofcom for making pension repair payments; and what is the value of the defined contribution pension allowance that is available to all staff.

Lord Newby: The Office of Communications (Ofcom), as the independent communications regulator, operates within an overall funding cap set by HM Treasury. In the most recent spending review (SR2010), Ofcom agreed to deliver a savings profile, which will achieve a 28.2% reduction in real terms of the funding cap over the four year period to 2014-15. In the period to 2011-12, Ofcom has delivered actual operating cost outturn savings of 26.9 % in real terms, relative to the actual outturn for 2004-05. This saving in actual operating cost outturn over the period has been made, notwithstanding Ofcom's obligation to meet inherited liabilities, in respect of defined benefit pensions and taking on a number of additional duties and responsibilities. These include, but are not limited to, postal services regulation, obligations under the Digital Economies Act and spectrum management activities in respect of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games.
	Ofcom sets its budgets within the constraints of the overall funding cap. Where it is required to make deficit repair payments to its two inherited defined benefit pension plans, formal internal governance processes through the Ofcom board and executive committee are followed, and in respect of the budgeting and making of such payments. The value of the defined contribution pension allowance varies between 8% and 15% of salary, dependent upon staff grade, with two members of the Ofcom executive committee receiving an allowance of 20% of salary.
	The following table shows the percentage increase or decrease in Ofcom's expenditure per annum, with and without pension deficit repair payments:
	
		
			 Financial Year % increase/decrease in total outturn %increase/decrease in outturn excluding pension deficit repair payments 
			 2003-04  * 
			 2004-05 -3.20% -3.30%** 
			 2005-06 6.10% 2.50% 
			 2006-07 0.30% 3.60% 
			 2007-08 0.40% -1.50% 
			 2008-09 -1.80% -3.10% 
			 2009-10 1.30% -6.40% 
			 2010-11 -3.10% 5.20% 
			 2011-12 -13.20% -18.20% 
		
	
	[*3 month period only from 29 Dec 2003 to 31 Mar 2004]
	[** % increase/decrease calculated using annualised 03-04 outturn]

Pensions

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will follow other European countries in establishing a floor level for the discount interest rate to be applied in calculating insurance and pension liabilities, taking into account the impact of quantitative easing.

Lord Freud: It is important to note that it is not always possible to make direct comparisons with pension scheme funding regimes in other countries. The UK system allows flexibility where it most matters-on the actual payments that go into the scheme.
	It is important to maintain the integrity of the UK pension funding regime and that employers are able to respond to the pressures created by the economic crisis by smoothing the actual payments required of them.
	Similarly it is not always possible to make direct comparisons with insurance supervisory regimes in other countries. Based on guidance from the FSA, it is for insurers to value their liabilities in a way which is appropriate to the business model and risks relating to the individual undertaking. We continue to work with the FSA to ensure that the regulatory objectives set out in FSMA are fulfilled.

Private Sector: Investment

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to review their current policies designed to encourage private sector investment.

Baroness Wilcox: The Government's deficit strategy has helped to deliver near-record low interest rates and our Plan for Growth outlines a comprehensive approach designed to stimulate private sector-led growth. Encouraging investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy is one of four ambitions through which the Government will achieve their economic policy objective of strong and sustainable growth that is more evenly balanced across the country and between industries. We continue to outline progress in implementing over 250 commitments of the Plan for Growth, most recently in March 2012.
	A number of fiscal steps have been taken to encourage private sector business investment to support the Plan for Growth ambition of "creating the most competitive tax regime in the G20".
	The main rate of corporation tax (CT) has reduced by 4% from 28% in 2010 to 24% in April 2012. The main rate will fall to 22% in April 2014. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility estimated the 1% CT reduction would increase business investment by around 1%, equivalent to £3.4 billion by 2016.
	From April 2012, the Government have offered 100% enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) on plant and machinery investment made in 12 designated areas in enterprise zones. These will help to attract inward investment and stimulate growth in areas by attracting large companies to make large capital investments. ECAs will particularly encourage investment in the manufacturing sector.
	The Plan for Growth's second ambition, to make the UK one of the best places in Europe to start, finance and grow a business, has been supported in a series of recent announcements.
	The Government launched the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme in April 2012 to support seed investment in response to particular difficulties start-up companies can face in obtaining seed finance. To kick-start the scheme, the Government are offering a capital gains tax holiday: gains realised on the disposal of assets in 2012-13 that are invested through SEIS in the same year will be exempt from CGT.
	A range of measures are ensuring firms with viable business plans are able to access the finance they need to grow: working with the banks, providing guarantees (Enterprise Finance Guarantee), and with equity providers to fill the equity gap (Business Finance Partnership). We are also making available targeted support such as £420 million Get Britain Building Fund for SME house builders (plus £150 million in Budget 2012), £500 million Growing Places Fund and an additional £270 million via LEPs, and UK Green Investments (first £775 million of £3 billion due this year).
	The third ambition in the Plan for Growth was to "encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy". How the Government's can better fulfil this ambition also continues to be reviewed.
	The Government's latest commitment to private sector investment was the July 2012 announcement of a new UK guarantees scheme to accelerate major infrastructure investment and provide major support to UK exporters. This support is only possible because of the Government's hard-won fiscal credibility, which the Government are now passing on to support the UK economy. £40 billion of projects could benefit from the scheme, including critical infrastructure projects that have stalled because of adverse credit conditions.
	In February of this year the Regional Growth Fund, which supports projects and programmes that lever private sector investment creating economic growth and sustainable employment, was allocated an additional £1 billion. This takes the fund total to £2.4 billion. The ratio of private sector investment to public funding in round 1 was 5:1 and increased to 6:1 in round 2. Budget 2012 also saw the announcement of a new £100 million University Research Co-Investment Fund to accelerate private sector investment in UK university research infrastructure.

Schools: Performance

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government which are the 36 primary schools in Lancashire that the Schools Commissioner for England, Dr Elizabeth Sidwell, said in a speech at Hambleton, Lancashire on 12 July were "poorly performing" and should become academies; whether the schools concerned have been informed of their inclusion in this list; and what are the criteria that were used for this judgment.

Lord Newby: It is not our policy to name schools where we are in the early stages of exploring sponsored academy options. We believe this has the potential to disrupt the schools concerned. The schools identified as underperforming are those which are in an Ofsted category of "notice to improve" or "special measures" and/or are below the floor standard and have been so for the majority of the past five years. A school is below the floor standard if fewer than 60% of pupils achieve level 4 at key stage 2 in English and maths combined, with rates of progression in English and maths below the national medians. Officials work closely with local authorities to discuss options for an academy solution for these schools which will transform performance.

Taxation: Alcohol

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group's Inquiry into beer tax fraud.

Lord Sassoon: The Government welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group report on beer fraud, published on 16 July 2012. The group's recommendations will be considered alongside the other responses to the Government's consultation on legislative options to tackle alcohol fraud, which closed on 16 July.
	The Government intend to publish a summary of the findings of that consultation later this year.

Taxation: Cash-in-hand Payments

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued any guidance on how people can determine whether cash-in-hand payments are linked to tax evasion.

Lord Sassoon: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued detailed guidance on cash-in-hand payments on its website which can be found at http://www.hmrc. gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/cash-payments.htm. HMRC also publishes guidance on circumstances where receiving cash-in-hand payments as an employee may be unlawful or linked to evasion, which can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/working/intro/casual.htm.

Taxation: VAT

Baroness Hooper: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they expect to raise from the imposition of VAT on charities in relation to the maintenance of listed buildings.

Lord Sassoon: There has been no change to the VAT treatment of maintaining listed buildings. The Finance Bill removed the anomaly whereby approved alterations to certain listed buildings are zero-rated for VAT purposes but alterations to other types of building and the repair and maintenance of all buildings are standard-rated.
	On 28 June 2012 HM Revenue and Customs published, on its website, a summary of responses to its consultation "VAT: Addressing VAT borderline anomalies". Annex B in the document contains a revised assessment of the impacts of the proposed changes to alterations to listed buildings.
	The published Exchequer impact (£m) for the listed buildings measure in the responses document is as follows:
	
		
			 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 
			 35 85 95 110 125 
		
	
	The responses document also explained that, in addition, changes to the policy made as a result of consultation are expected to decrease receipts, from the above, by approximately £5 million in 2012-13 and 2013-14. This is to take account of the revised transitional arrangements. The final costing for the policy change will be subject to scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out in the Autumn Statement 2012.
	These estimates apply to all listed buildings affected by the change and separate estimates are not available for the impact on charities.
	Annex B of the responses document also clarifies that the scope of the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme will be extended to cover alterations as well as repairs and that funding for the scheme will be increased by £30 million per annum.

Telecommunications: Television Signals

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what incentives are being provided, alongside consumer-focused measures, to mobile network operators to take steps to prevent or reduce interference with television signals at the network level.

Lord Newby: Ofcom has proposed a set of key performance indicators relating to the delivery of the assistance to TV viewers to be included in the licences of the mobile network operators (MNOs). If any of the MNOs fail to meet the key performance indicators for dealing with interference to TV, the immediate sanction is that they must significantly reduce the power levels operating from the relevant base stations, and not add any others, until they have remedied the issues for TV viewers. In addition, those MNOs are incentivised to limit the amount of interference their services cause by being able to share any of the £180 million which they are required to commit to this assistance that is left over after Mitco has completed its work.
	On 24 July, Ofcom published its statement on the auction of 4G spectrum licences. This is available from its website at: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/ consultations/award-800mhz-2.6ghz/statement/?utm_source=updates&utm_medium=email&utm_campaiqn=4g-auction-statement.
	The interference mitigation requirements, including a full explanation of all the key performance indicators that will be applied to the MNOs, are included in Annexe 2 to the information memorandum.

Africa: Franco-British Co-operation

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in fulfilling the commitment to "pursue close co-operation on the ground in Africa" made at the Saint-Malo Franco-British summit in 1998.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Since the Saint-Malo Franco-British summit, the Government have continued to develop their relationship with France on Africa. This includes regular dialogue with our French counterparts in London and Paris and at posts in the region. Also, Ministers have undertaken a number of joint visits to Africa including Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, the Great Lakes, Niger, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
	Africa was discussed at several meetings that the Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), held with President Hollande last month. In their meeting on 10 July they both agreed to increase efforts in the Sahel, following already greater co-operation in the region since the beginning of the crisis in Mali in late March.
	Since 1998 the Government have also co-operated with France on a number of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) military operations and civilian missions in Africa including in the DRC, Guinea Bissau, Chad/Central African Republic, and covering Somalia. The UK is also playing a supporting role in the planning and development of a French-led CSDP mission to Niger, which we hope to see deployed within the coming weeks.
	The Government enjoy close co-operation with France in Africa and continue to value this relationship in light of our shared interests in the region.

Burma

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the Government of Burma about ending conflict in Kachin State, and ensuring humanitarian access to internally displaced people.

Lord Howell of Guildford: On 15 July, our ambassador met senior figures in the Burmese Government, including the Vice-President, to raise the importance of bringing the conflict in Kachin State to an end. The meetings were organised as part of a visit by UK experts focusing on intercommunal trust building and peace processes.
	We continue to press regularly for unrestricted humanitarian access to internally displaced persons (IDPs) across Burma, particularly in Kachin State and Rakhine (Arakan) State.

Burma

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the Government of Burma about protecting the human rights of the Rohingya community in Arakan State.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK continues to be active in raising the issues affecting the Rohingya community in Rakhine (Arakan) State and has repeatedly called on all parties to end the violence in western Burma and on the Burmese authorities to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the area, to resolve the issue of nationality and to protect the human rights of all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
	Our ambassador to Burma raised these points directly with the Burmese Vice-President during a meeting with him on 14 July. On 17 July we raised the Rohingya issue with our EU partners in Brussels. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) also raised the issues affecting the Rohingya with the Bangladeshi Prime Minster during their meeting on 28 July. We continue raise the Rohingya with international partners and in international organisations such as the United Nations.

Burma

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the Government of Burma regarding the treatment of the Rohingya Muslim community.

Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK continues to be active in raising the issues affecting the Rohingya community and has repeatedly called on all parties to end the violence in western Burma and on the Burmese authorities to allow unhindered humanitarian access to the area, to resolve the issue of nationality and to protect the human rights of all the people of Burma, notably the Rohingya.
	Our ambassador to Burma raised these points directly with the Burmese Vice-President during a meeting with him on 14 July. On 17 July we raised the Rohingya issue with our EU partners in Brussels. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) also raised the issues affecting the Rohingya with the Bangladeshi Prime Minster during their meeting on 28 July. We continue raise the Rohingya with international partners and in international organisations such as the United Nations.

Burma

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will raise the issue of torture, abuse of human rights and burning of Rohingya children at the next United Nations Security Council.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are deeply concerned about reports of human rights abuses being committed in Rakhine (Arakan) State.
	We remain in regular contact with non-governmental organisations on the ground in Rakhine (Arakan) State. Tensions between different communities remain and this presents risks to local volunteers. This is not only hampering the provision of humanitarian assistance but is also making verification of reports of human right abuses problematic.
	We continue to raise the situation in Burma, including the ongoing ethnic conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State, in all relevant parts of the United Nations. At the UK's request, the United Nations (UN) Security Council has had three separate briefings in the last eight months from the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Burma, Mr Vijay Nambiar. The most recent briefing on 20 June, where the intercommunal violence in Rakhine (Arakan) State and the continued discrimination against the Rohingya people was discussed, followed a visit to Burma by Nambiar on 11 to 14 June.
	The UK strongly supported a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Burma in March, which called on the Government of Burma to recognise the rights of members of the Rohingya to nationality and for the Government to protect all of their human rights. During the Human Rights Council's July session, the UK issued a statement that expressed our alarm at the outbreaks of violence in Rakhine State and the continued discrimination of the Rohingya community.

Cabinet Office: Correspondence

Lord Prescott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what correspondence took place between the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Cabinet Office arising out of the letter from Lord Prescott to the Cabinet Secretary of 31 October 2011; what changes were made to the draft of the Cabinet Secretary's response on 18 and 21 November; and whether they will place a copy of this correspondence in the Library of the House.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: A factual error in the Cabinet Office reply of 18 November 2011, incorrectly suggesting that departmental civil servants had been disciplined for the use of the Government Procurement Card under the previous Administration, was removed from the version of 21 November. In fact, the fraud stemmed from seven transactions on a cloned credit card. A second paragraph was also deleted from the version of 18 November in error. The Cabinet Secretary has written to the noble Lord to explain the background.
	More broadly, online transparency has enabled robust public accountability and parliamentary scrutiny about departmental spending to help protect taxpayers' money.

China

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what inquiries and representations they have made about Bishop James Su Zhimin of Baoding, and Bishop Cosma Shi Enxiang of Yixian, who disappeared 15 and 11 years ago respectively, and with what result.

Lord Howell of Guildford: Freedom of religion, including government restrictions on religious organisations and the treatment of individuals associated with these groups, was raised with the Chinese delegation at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in January 2012.
	We last raised the cases of Su Zhimin and Shi Enxiang at the 14th round of UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in 2006. Due to the large number of cases of concern we are not always able to regularly raise particular individual cases but we continue to look for opportunities to do so.
	At previous dialogues the Chinese side responded that the judicial authorities had taken no coercive action against them and are unaware of their whereabouts. We asked for assistance in locating the bishops and raised our concerns about their health given their advanced age. We are unaware of their current whereabouts or status.

Civil Service: Redundancy

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 14 June (WA 265), how many staff working for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its agencies were made redundant, or departed early, in 2011; what were the costs under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme in (1) redundancy payments, (2) annual pension amounts payable immediately, and (3) any lump sum retiring allowances; and what was the average redundancy payment.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The following table shows (1) the total number of employees who left the Department for Culture, Media and Sport under voluntary exit terms, (2) the costs under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and (3) the average redundancy payment in the 2011 calendar year:
	
		
			 Date of Leaving Number of employees who left under early exit terms Total cost under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme Average payment 
			 31/03/11 to 31/12/11 67 £3,252,435 £48,453.80 
		
	
	Payment of annual pension amounts and lump sum are made under the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme by our administrator, My Civil Service Pension. We do not hold records centrally and to obtain these would involve disproportionate cost.
	The department does not hold this information. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of the Royal Parks Agency to write directly to the noble Lord with this information.
	Copies of the responses will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Government Departments: Buildings

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Culture, Media and Sport intends to move its main premises from Cockspur Street; and, if so, to what location and when.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will move from Cockspur Street to 100 Parliament Street in March 2013.

Government Departments: Buildings

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what future use they envisage for the premises at Cockspur Street currently occupied by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will no longer have a use for the premises at Cockspur Street after its move to 100 Parliament Street in March 2013 and is looking either to assign the lease or to sub-let floors. Five of the eight floors in the building are already let.

Government Departments: Reorganisation

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend a long-term reorganisation of the current Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: A long-term reorganisation is already under way. The department is currently midway through a three-year change programme to achieve 50% administrative cost reductions to meet spending review targets while building a highly motivated, diverse and talented workforce and prioritising critical deliverables, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Government Departments: Staff

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their future plans for staffing levels at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has committed to a 50% reduction in its administration budget by 31 March 2015, which includes staffing costs. Subject to these reductions, we anticipate that the department will have around 340 full-time equivalent staff from April 2013.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the recent statement by the Attorney General of Israel that Israeli law applies to the whole of the Temple Mount.

Lord Howell of Guildford: East Jerusalem, including the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount, is occupied territory and, therefore, as the occupying power Israel must administer this territory in accordance with occupation law, specifically the 1907 Hague Regulations and Fourth Geneva Convention.
	As we have long made clear, it is vital that the parties come to an agreement whereby Jerusalem can be a shared capital both of Israel and of a Palestinian state. Any agreement should protect Jerusalem's holy sites and ensure that all people can freely access religious sites sacred to them.

National Policing Improvement Agency

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the transitional costs of transferring the functions of the National Policing Improvement Agency to other bodies, including the Home Office and the new National Crime Agency.

Lord Henley: The transitional costs of transferring the functions of the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) to other bodies, including the Home Office and the National Crime Agency, will be met from within existing NPIA budgets.

Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the Government of Nigeria regarding the concerns of the Christian communities in Tafawa Belewa, Bauchi State, over the absence of action to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against them.

Lord Howell of Guildford: We are deeply concerned by the recent violence in northern Nigeria, which has caused suffering in both Christian and Muslim communities. The UK condemns all such instances of violence. We have raised with the Nigerian Government the importance of bringing perpetrators to justice and will continue to do so. We welcome statements made by the Nigeria Government about co-operation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the ICC's decision to conduct a preliminary examination into Nigeria. The Government are committed to working with the Nigerian Government to tackle the threat from violent groups and to find a lasting resolution to conflict in northern Nigeria.

Police: Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers

Baroness Smith of Basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what have been the changes in the numbers of (1) police officers, and (2) police community support officers, in each police authority over the past three years.

Lord Henley: The latest available information shows the number of police officers and police community support officers for the three years up to 31 March 2012, by police force area (full-time equivalents) in England and Wales. Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are a matter for the respective Administrations.
	
		
			 Number of police officers and police community support officers for the three years up to 31 March 2012, by police force area 
			 Police force Police Officers Police Community Support Officers 
			  31-Mar-10 31-Mar-11 31-Mar-12 31-Mar-10 31-Mar-11 31-Mar-12 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,302 3,210 3,039 430 416 365 
			 Bedfordshire 1,246 1,214 1,157 116 125 112 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,471 1,398 1,377 209 200 193 
			 Cheshire 2,155 2,079 2,011 237 221 218 
			 Cleveland 1,724 1,655 1,529 193 178 167 
			 Cumbria 1,238 1,180 1,125 111 104 102 
			 Derbyshire 2,074 2,021 1,819 181 177 171 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,556 3,436 3,225 363 353 357 
			 Dorset 1,486 1,452 1,378 164 164 153 
			 Essex 3,606 3,577 3,408 445 404 380 
			 Gloucestershire 1,309 1,262 1,208 148 139 132 
			 Greater Manchester 8,148 7,791 7,498 842 837 818 
			 Hampshire 3,748 3,658 3,434 347 344 340 
			 Hertfordshire 2,130 2,048 1,984 262 252 257 
			 Humberside 2,058 1,952 1,856 317 309 290 
			 Kent 3,787 3,668 3,498 387 364 333 
			 Lancashire 3,649 3,448 3,323 428 386 411 
			 Leicestershire 2,317 2,211 2,142 233 232 236 
			 Lincolnshire 1,206 1,202 1,142 149 144 152 
			 London, City of 852 878 831 52 44 38 
			 Merseyside 4,516 4,297 4,083 468 440 426 
			 Metropolitan Police 33,367 32,441 32,140 4,645 4,009 2,760 
			 Norfolk 1,662 1,598 1,547 275 264 254 
			 Northamptonshire 1,343 1,306 1,234 164 166 161 
			 Northumbria 4,187 4,102 3,921 438 433 424 
			 North Yorkshire 1,486 1,458 1,402 198 182 186 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,409 2,319 2,168 268 273 264 
			 South Yorkshire 2,953 2,888 2,772 328 311 290 
			 Staffordshire 2,161 2,079 1,948 237 228 209 
			 Suffolk 1,246 1,244 1,175 173 162 164 
			 Surrey 1,890 1,885 1,974 224 229 228 
			 Sussex 3,213 3,102 2,959 377 351 335 
			 Thames Valley 4,434 4,375 4,355 500 506 508 
			 Warwickshire 973 919 844 138 136 109 
			 West Mercia 2,391 2,251 2,191 279 273 271 
			 West Midlands 8,626 8,149 7,826 811 758 711 
			 West Yorkshire 5,758 5,536 5,219 763 713 728 
			 Wiltshire 1,181 1,099 1,057 126 133 152 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,195 1,157 1,131 83 80 97 
			 Gwent 1,437 1,501 1,446 143 142 191 
			 North Wales 1,590 1,530 1,454 157 159 219 
			 South Wales 3,148 3,100 2,907 335 304 308 
			 Total 43 forces 143,734 139,110 134,101 16,918 15,820 14,393 
		
	
	1. This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Registration of Deaths

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what efforts they are making to ensure the rapid registration of deaths among the population of the United Kingdom.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to proposals by the Royal Statistical Society and the UK Statistics Authority that registration of the fact of death should be decoupled from the cause of death.

Lord Henley: Civil registration is a devolved function in the UK, so is a matter for each of the Administrations. The General Register Office within the Identity and Passport Service oversees civil registration in England and Wales.
	In England and Wales, a death is normally registered within a few days of the occurrence. When a death is the subject of an inquest, the registration takes place after the verdict has been reached and the cause of death has been established. The coroner may issue an interim certificate, which can be used for purposes such as settling the estate of the deceased. However, such a certificate would not include a cause of death (which will be determined at the inquest), and so could not be used for death registration purposes.
	There is no evidence to indicate that there is a significant public health risk or that the existing registration processes cause inconvenience to the public. Accordingly, there are no plans to change the current approach, including that of separating out the processes of registration and cause of death.

Broadband: 4G Mobile

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to assess the impact of interference from 4G mobile broadband on digital television services in a limited geographical area, and (2) to apply any lessons from such an assessment to the roll-out of 4G services nationally.

Baroness Verma: Previous experiences of the 3G network rollout in the UK, and 4G rollouts in other countries, show that network operators are unlikely to roll out complete networks before switching them on. They will undertake a phased rollout. It is the role of Mitco, an organisation that has been set up to reduce the interference to mobile networks, to monitor the situation for any evidence of interference to TV reception as it develops, and act if required to do so.

Children: Northern Ireland and England

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned into the comparative outcomes for children in Northern Ireland and England.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The department has not commissioned any research comparing the outcomes for children in Northern Ireland and England.

EU: Media

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of whether any other member states of the European Union have systems of statutory press controls and of the effectiveness of those controls.

Baroness Verma: The Government have noted Module 4 of the Leveson inquiry on future press regulation, which has included analysis of systems of press regulation in other parts of Europe and elsewhere. The Government will respond to the Leveson inquiry in due course, once they receive recommendations for future press regulation due in Lord Justice Leveson's report this autumn.

Higher Education: 16-19 Year-olds

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many 16 year-olds they expect to start the 2012-13 academic year studying in (1) maintained school sixth forms, (2) academy sixth forms, (3) 16-19 free schools, (4) sixth form colleges, and (5) further education colleges.

Lord Hill of Oareford: A projection of the percentage of 16 year-olds participating in the 2012-13 academic year was published in the 16-19 Funding Statement by the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) in December 2011. The Education Funding Agency (EFA) will be updating this projection as part of the work for the next 16-19 Funding Statement.
	The table below provides a more detailed breakdown of the age 16 participation rate projection for 2012-13 academic year by route. State-funded school sixth form numbers by school type have not been provided because robust estimates by individual academic age were not available when these projections were produced.
	
		
			 Projected participation in education and work-based learning at academic age 16 by institution type, snapshot at end 2012 calendar year 
			  2012-13 
			  Number % 
			 Overall participation at academic age 16 in education and work-based learning, of which: 602,979 98.0 
			 State-funded school sixth forms 225,617 36.7 
			 Sixth form colleges 74,398 12.1 
			 General FE, tertiary and specialist colleges 237,443 38.6 
			 Work-based learning 24,072 3.9 
			 Other (incl. independent schools) 41,450 6.7 
			 Population 615,487

Higher Education: 16-19 Year-olds

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) new academy sixth forms, and (2) 16-19 free schools, will open in the 2012-13 academic year; how much funding each will receive; and how many students each expects to enrol.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The tables below list the new academy and free school sixth forms being established in September 2012 for which funding allocations have been finalised.
	
		
			 Table 1: Funding for new academy sixth forms opening September 2012 
			 School Local Authority Funding for Places and 16-19 Bursary Fund Estimated Student Numbers in First Year Planned Capacity 
			 UCL Academy Camden £655,642 125 250 
			 The Bridge Academy Hackney £694,595 125 250 
			 Brampton Manor Academy Newham £552,791 100 300 
			 Bethnal Green Technology College Tower Hamlets £374,084 67 200 
			 The Quest Academy Croydon £164,787 35 215 
			 Oasis Academy Enfield £529,069 110 250 
			 Drapers' Academy Havering £307,444 67 200 
			 Twickenham Academy Richmond upon Thames £340,620 75 150 
			 Tudor Grange Academy Solihull £462,733 110 250 
			 Ormiston Enterprise Academy Derbyshire £62,011 15 100 
			 Consett Academy Durham £127,037 30 200 
			 Skinners' Kent Academy Kent £82,978 20 250 
			 Bede Academy Northumberland £527,400 125 250 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Funding for new Free School sixth forms opening September 2012 
			 School Local Authority Funding for Places and 16-19 Bursary Fund Estimated Student Numbers in First Year Planned Capacity 
			 London Academy of Excellence Newham £1,276,934 220 420 
		
	
	In addition, there are two academy sixth forms opening in September 2012 for which funding allocations are still being finalised. They are therefore not included in the table above. They are Ash Green School and Torquay Academy. A final list can be provided in due course if desired.
	Provision for 16 to 19 year-olds in academies and free schools is funded on the same per-learner basis as that for maintained school sixth forms, sixth-form colleges and general further education colleges using the national funding formula for 16-19 provision. We are introducing a new fairer, simpler and more transparent funding formula for 2013-14 to support the raising of the participation age. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is provided to enable institutions to help young people meet the costs of participating in education and training.

Holocaust

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hill of Oareford on 13 June (WA 257-8), how many academies no longer include the history of the Holocaust in their curricula; whether all history programmes will include the history of the holocaust as part of a new national curriculum; and whether academies will be obliged to teach about the holocaust regardless of whether they depart from a new national curriculum.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The department does not collect information about whether academies include the history of the Holocaust in their curricula. While publicly funded independent schools (academies) will continue to have the freedom to depart from the new national curriculum, where they consider that to be in the best interests of their students, they are required by law to teach a broad and balanced curriculum. As is the case now, we envisage that many such schools will, in practice, continue to offer the national curriculum, and they will be accountable to parents and their local communities for any decisions they take.

Ofsted

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) complaints, and (2) appeals, against gradings Ofsted have received from (a) further education colleges, and (b) sixth form colleges, in the past two academic years; and how many have been upheld.

Lord Hill of Oareford: This question is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has written to my noble friend, and a copy of his response has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Letter from Sir Michael Wilshaw, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, to Baroness Sharp of Guildford, dated June 2012.
	PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION NUMBER HL1788: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) complaints, and (2) appeals, against gradings Ofsted have received from (a) further education colleges, and (b) sixth form colleges, in the past two academic years; and how many have been upheld.
	Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	The information you have requested is in the tables below, which are divided between stage one and stage two complaints. A stage one complaint investigation includes challenges to judgements (gradings) as well as concerns about inspector conduct, administration, or information. The stage two complaint investigation is Ofsted's equivalent of an appeal against the investigation completed at stage one.
	There was one complaint in 2012-13 that went to appeal and did not have a judgement element. It was about inspector conduct, administration or information and was not upheld.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Lord Hill of Oareford, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			 Stage 1 Complaints Academic year 2010-11 Academic year 2011-12 
			  Sixth Form College FE College Sixth Form College FE College 
			 Total number of complaints received 0 7 2 9* 
			 Number of complaints about inspection judgements 0 7 2 5 
			 Number of complaints about inspection judgements upheld - 0 0 3/5 not upheld 2/5 not yet concluded 
			 Number of complaints about inspector conduct, administration, or information 0 0 0 4 
			 Number of inspector conduct, administration, or information aspects upheld - - - 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Appeals (Stage 2 Complaints) Academic year 2010-11 Academic year 2011-12 
			  Sixth Form College FE College Sixth Form College FE College 
			 Total number of complaints received 0 1 0 1 
			 Number of complaints about inspection judgements 0 1 0 0 
			 Number of complaints about inspection judgements upheld - 0 - 0 
			 Number of complaints about inspector conduct, administration, or information 0 0 0 1 
			 Number of inspector conduct, administration, or information aspects upheld - - - 0 
		
	
	*A total of nine stage 1 complaints from FE colleges were received in the academic year 2011-12, Of these, five complaints involved challenges to judgements (gradings). Three of these complaints have been investigated with no complaint aspect upheld. Two investigations have not yet concluded. The remaining four complaints concerned issues about inspector conduct, administration or information aspects of the inspection. No aspect of these four complaints was upheld.

Schools: Academies

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the terms of reference of the Schools Commissioner for England in relation to the promotion of academies, and for her other work; and what proportion of her work consists of promoting academies.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The terms of reference for the schools commissioner defines Dr Sidwell's role as to champion the growth of academies and raise the profile of free schools among school leaders, local authorities, parent groups and community organisations. Advocating academies, and the freedoms that becoming an academy brings, is an integral part of all of the schools commissioner's work, and accordingly it is not possible to specify the proportion of Dr Sidwell's work that involves promoting academies.

Schools: Creationism

Lord Krebs: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they allow free schools to be established by groups that subscribe to the teaching of creationism.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Free schools are not permitted to teach creationism as a valid scientific theory in any subject and the Government would not approve any school that intended to do so. The model funding agreement for free schools requires that free schools shall not make provision in the context of any subject for the teaching, as an evidence-based view or theory, of any view or theory that is contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations.

Schools: Creationism

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on the teaching of creationism in school science lessons; and whether that policy applies to free schools.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Government have made it clear that creationism has no place in the science curriculum of any state-funded school. The model funding agreement prohibits free schools from teaching creationism as a valid scientific theory in any subject.

Schools: Creationism

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider it acceptable for free schools to teach creationism as an evidence-based theory in religious education.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The Government do not consider it acceptable for free schools to teach creationism as an evidence-based theory in religious education or any other subject.

Schools: Creationism

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they consider it acceptable to refer to creationism as an evidence-based theory in school assemblies.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The teaching of creationism as a valid scientific theory, whether in an assembly or as part of the teaching of science or any other subject, has no place in any state-funded school. Free schools are specifically prohibited from teaching it through their funding agreements. Schools may, however, cover the biblical creation story; for example, as part of religious education.

Schools: Free Meals

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of pupils in the schools in each London borough and the City of London were in receipt of free school meals for each year from 1997 to the last year for which figures are available.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Information on the number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals in each local authority in London from 2002 to 2012 has been placed in the House Libraries. Information is not available on the same basis prior to 2002. The latest information on free school meal eligibility was published on 21 June 2012 in the Schools, Pupils and their Characteristics: January 2012 Statistical First Release at http://www. education.gov.uk/rsqateway/DB/SFR/s001071 /index. shtml.

Schools: Free Schools

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government which scientists they consult when deciding which free school proposals to approve.

Lord Hill of Oareford: All free school applications are subject to a rigorous assessment and a thorough interview process that draws on the advice of a range of education experts and advisers.

Schools: Funding

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the change in the allocation of capital funding for publicly funded schools between 2010-11 and 2011-12 across local authorities in (1) England, (2) the North West, and (3) Merseyside.

Lord Hill of Oareford: Capital allocations made to local authorities and schools in England, the north-west, and Merseyside, in 2010-11 and 2011-12, together with the change between these two years, are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Capital allocations for schools 
			  2010-11 £m 2011-12 £m Change from 2010-11 to 2011-12 £m 
			 England 6,145 4,860 -1,285 
			 North West 983 644 -339 
			 Merseyside 241 82 -159 
		
	
	The allocations shown cover all capital allocations to schools and local authorities and include supported borrowing allocations in 2010-11. The figures exclude investment through the private finance initiative.

Teachers: Overseas-trained

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which countries the overseas-trained teachers currently working in England and Wales first qualified; and in which types of schools they are working.

Lord Hill of Oareford: The department does not hold employment information for overseas-trained teachers currently working in England and Wales, or details of the countries in which they first qualified.

Electoral Registration

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in making projections about levels of registration under the system of individual electoral registration proposed in the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill, what assumptions they have made about the level of local authority spending on electoral registration in (1) 2012, (2) 2013, (3) 2014, and (4) 2015.

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on levels of electoral registration if local authorities do not spend the funds allocated to them for electoral registration to that end in (1) 2012, (2) 2013, (3) 2014, and (4) 2015.

Lord Newby: Funding to meet the cost of the transition to IER was allocated in the 2010 comprehensive spending review with £108 million allocated over the spending review period. The Government are committed to funding the full cost of the transition to IER, over and above the current cost of electoral registration. Local authorities will continue to fund electoral registration from their formula grant and the Government will ensure that there is sufficient funding for transition by making specific payments under Section 31 of the Local Government Act. This funding will be supplied for specific transition activities (such as digital changes, training and transitional canvass arrangements) through upfront or retrospective grants, depending on which activity is being funded. The Government propose that these funds will also be supplied to local authorities on the basis of local needs in terms of population turnover or other factors.
	Local authorities are under a statutory duty (Section 54 of the Representation of the People Act 1983) to pay an electoral registration officer's expenses properly incurred in the performance of their functions. Electoral registration officers will be under specific legal obligations to carry out responsibilities agreed by Parliament during the transition. Those who fail to do so will be in breach of their duties, which (in the absence of reasonable cause) is an offence under Section 63 of the 1983 Act. Local authorities presently allocate funding from their area-based grant for registration activities to comply with their present statutory duties and we expect that they will continue to do so.

Electoral Registration

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their proposals in the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill on levels of electoral registration (1) among young people aged between 18 and 25, (2) among students, (3) among people with learning disabilities, (4) among people with disabilities more generally, (5) among people living in areas of high social deprivation, (6) among ethnic minorities, (7) in England, (8) in Scotland, (9) in Wales, (10) in metropolitan areas, (11) in urban areas, (12) in suburban areas, (13) in rural areas, (14) in coastal regions, (15) in parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Conservative MPs, (16) in parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Labour MPs, and (17) in parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Liberal Democrat MPs.

Lord Newby: The Government have carried out a detailed programme of research to inform their decision making on the implementation of individual electoral registration. They have funded the Electoral Commission to publish an updated study on the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register to understand the scale of the challenge; they have funded an independent academic to carry out a literature review of all available research into electoral registration; and they have commissioned a qualitative study which explored the barriers to registration for those groups missing from the register under the current system, and those most at risk during the transition to IER. All of this information has been made publicly available to inform parliamentary scrutiny and debates (which is available on the Cabinet Office website).

Government Departments: Ministerial Code

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made to ensure that Ministers with responsibilities in the Cabinet Office comply with clauses 1.2(b) and 1.2(d) of the Ministerial Code.

Lord Newby: As the Ministerial Code makes clear, it is for individual Ministers to account to Parliament for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments.

Private Sector: Cash Resources

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they estimate that cash resources held by private companies in the United Kingdom are increasing or decreasing.

Lord Newby: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for Office for National Statistics, to Lord Newby, dated August 2012.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary Question to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they estimate that cash resources held by private companies in the United Kingdom are increasing or decreasing. [BIS] HL2023.
	The Office for National Statistics publishes an annual United Kingdom National Accounts: The Blue Book which presents a full set of economic accounts, or National Accounts, for the United Kingdom. Chapters 3 and 4 of the Blue Book comprise the fullest available set of accounts showing transactions by the private non-financial and financial sectors of the economy respectively. The Blue Book 2012 was published on 31 July 2012 and is available on the National Statistics web site at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/united-kingdom-national-accounts/the-blue-book--2012-edition/index.html
	I have interpreted the term "cash resources" in your Question as the most liquid assets held by private companies, which are "currency and deposits".
	Blue Book 2012 shows that total currency and deposits held by private non-financial corporations has increased annually since 2009 (shown in table 3.3.9 within the financial balance sheet for private non-financial corporations).
	Blue Book 2012 shows that total currency and deposits held by financial corporations has increased annually since 2009 (shown in table 4.1.9 within the financial balance sheet for financial corporations).
	The Blue Book also provides information on the net lending/borrowing position of private companies, which is the financial balance between their income and expenditure. If the financial balance of private companies is positive, they are net lenders and if it is negative, net borrowers.
	Blue Book 2012 shows, for private non-financial corporations, an annually increasing positive financial balance since 2008 (shown in table 3.3.8 within the financial account for private non-financial corporations).
	Blue Book 2012 shows that although since 2008 financial corporations have had a positive financial balance, this has subsequently decreased each year (shown in table 4.1.8 within the financial account for financial corporations).

Civil Service: Training

Baroness Tyler of Enfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many training courses for civil servants were scheduled to be delivered by Civil Service Learning for April-June 2012; and how many were actually delivered.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: April to June 2012 was Civil Service Learning's first quarter of delivery of training provision. Civil Service Learning gives civil servants access to both e-learning and face-to-face training as well as thousands of learning resources. Over the April to June 2012 period 45,609 learning activities were delivered across the Civil Service including 65 face-to-face events. We anticipate a higher number of face-to-face courses in future quarters as we have now introduced a forward planning system.

Cybercrime

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any recent cyberattack on UK banks or other banks with branches in the United Kingdom.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on specific details of cybersecurity incidents.

Cybercrime

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provision they are making in conjunction with the private sector to protect the UK financial system from cyberattack.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with UK-based banks in which the taxpayer has a shareholding about protecting those institutions from private-, terrorist- or foreign government-sponsored cyberattacks.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government take the threat of cyberattacks very seriously which is why we have committed £650 million over the next four years to respond effectively to threats from cyberspace through the National Cyber Security Programme, and the Cyber Security Strategy published in November 2011 has a wide-ranging set of measures in place to protect businesses and individuals from cyberattacks and sets out our plans for how we will improve the UK's cybersecurity and build confidence by creating a more secure and resilient cyberspace.
	The Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure provides advice on electronic and cyberprotective security measures to the businesses and organisations that comprise the UK's critical national infrastructure, including financial centres.
	We have also established a joint public/private sector cybersecurity "hub" which includes organisations from defence, telecoms, finance, pharmaceuticals and energy. This allows the Government and the private sector to exchange information on cyberthreats and manage the response to cyberattacks.

Economy: Balance of Payments

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government by what methodology the Pink Book figures are compiled by the Office for National Statistics; and whether this differs from the methodology used by HM Treasury for producing figures for the balance of payments.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for Office for National Statistics, to Lord Pearson, dated July 2012
	As Director-General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question To ask Her Majesty's Government by what methodology the Pink Book figures are compiled by the Office for National Statistics; and whether this differs from the methodology used by HM Treasury for producing figures for the balance of payments. [HL2022]
	The UK Balance of Payments (Pink Book) is produced annually by the Office for National Statistics, using data from a wide range of sources, including HM Treasury. The data published in Pink Book are consistent with the concepts and definitions in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Balance of Payments Manual Version 5 (BPM5), which is the internationally agreed framework for the compilation and presentation of Balance of Payments data.
	Some of the data provided by HM Treasury are directly incorporated into Pink Book; some of the data are subject to further processing. Additional data from other sources, including the HM Treasury Combined Online Information System (COINS), and adjustments, are used so that the published data, including their presentation, are consistent with the international standards specified in the IMF BPM5. Pink Book contains a detailed 'Methodological Notes' section, which outlines the methodology used for the compilation of the data:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom-balance-of-payments/2011/bod-pink- book-2011.pdf
	HM Treasury do not directly produce or publish Balance of Payments data, and therefore, there is no requirement for HM Treasury data to comply with the IMF BPM5. In summary, the data which are published by ONS and HM Treasury, are produced and published for different purposes, and hence in accordance with different specifications, and this explains the methodological differences between them. For example, BPM5 states that data must be on an accruals rather than a cash basis, and this is one of the methodological differences between the data published by the two sources. Another difference is that Balance of Payments data are based on calendar years, whereas HM Treasury data tend to be based on financial accounting years.

Government Departments: Private Contractors

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the recent difficulties with G4S's contract to provide security for the Olympics, what assessment they have made of the guidance provided to government departments on entering into contracts with private sector organisations.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Back in June the Government announced that we were stepping up the formal performance management of large, strategic suppliers. This will include formal reporting on performance and the identification of any high-risk suppliers so that past performance issues are properly taken into account before any new contracts are given.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 2 July (WA 128), which non-public sector organisations, companies, or charities have been permitted to enrol their staff as members of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme; under what criteria; and how many individuals are involved for each permitted organisation.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: None.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 2 July (WA 118), whether the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme maintained figures on the number of members made redundant annually or leaving under exit schemes and the cost of pension enhancements; and, if so, what were the numbers for each of the last five years in total and by department.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Cabinet Office does not hold the figures requested. The matter of early departures is delegated to individual departments, as are decisions on redundancies and other early exits.

Bahrain

Lord Patten: To ask her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 4 September decision of a Bahraini appeals court to uphold the conviction of opposition figures for allegedly plotting to overthrow the state.

Baroness Warsi: We were very disappointed by the Bahrain civilian court's decision to uphold all the sentences of 13 political activists in Bahrain on 4 September. Reports at the time these individuals were sentenced, acknowledged by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, suggested that some had been abused in detention, denied access to legal counsel and were coerced into confessing.
	We urge the Bahraini Government to ensure the human rights and freedoms of their citizens are fully upheld at all times. We are aware that the defendants can now appeal to the Cassation Court. We expect this process to be conducted thoroughly and with urgency, while ensuring due legal process is followed. We will continue to monitor the appeal process very closely.

Health: Cigarettes

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of possible links between the use of electronic cigarettes and nicotine addiction.

Earl Howe: There are a number of products on the market which claim to contain nicotine, such as electronic cigarettes, which are widely available but are not licensed medicines. Currently, any nicotine-containing product (NCP) which claims or implies that it can treat nicotine addiction is considered to be a medicinal product. This approach has allowed NCPs which do not make such claims to be used and sold without the safeguards built into the regulation of medicinal products.
	Electronic cigarettes are caught by the provisions of the General Product Safety Directive and associated regulations. Some electronic cigarettes have been tested by local authority trading standards departments and have been found to pose a potential danger to consumers. The available data suggest that there can be great variability in the content of electronic cigarettes, both in the amount of nicotine present and also in relation to other potentially toxic substances.
	Electronic cigarettes are not currently regulated as medicines, which are required to meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy. In March 2011, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published the outcome of a public consultation on whether to bring all nicotine-containing products within the medicines licensing regime. The response to consultation suggested there was strong support for MHRA regulation. The response to consultation also highlighted the need for further information to inform a decision and the MHRA is co-ordinating further scientific and market research with a view to a final decision on the application of medicines regulation in spring 2013.

House of Lords: Leader's Group on Working Practices

Lord Butler of Brockwell: To ask the Leader of the House whether he will publish a list of the actions taken by him in response to each of the recommendations of the Leader's Group on Working Practices.

Lord Strathclyde: I refer the noble Lord to my Answer to the noble Lord, Lord Grocott, on 25 July (HL Hansard, col. WA 164).

Liikanen High-level Expert Group

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a submission to the Liikanen High-level Expert Group on structural aspects of the European Union banking sector; and, if so, whether they will place a copy of the response in the Library of the House.

Lord Sassoon: The Government have not made a submission to the Liikanen High-level Expert Group but look forward to reviewing its conclusions once the group's final report is published. The recent financial crisis demonstrated that structural reform of banks is a necessary step towards increasing their resilience and resolvability. To this end, the Government are pushing forward with their own structural reforms based on the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Banking.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: Questions

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask the Leader of the House why Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint answers only questions relating to UK Trade & Investment and not questions on other matters for which the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is responsible.

Lord Strathclyde: My remarks on 23 July (HL Deb, cols. 481-84) were in response to a Question specifically asking about questions that relate to Lord Green's ministerial responsibilities. As the Ministerial Code makes clear, it is for the Prime Minister to decide on the allocation of Ministers' functions and responsibilities.

Nuclear Fuel Banks

Lord Browne of Ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on the creation of international nuclear fuel banks; and what steps they have taken to support efforts to establish such banks.

Baroness Verma: The UK, through its membership of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has strongly supported all recent steps to provide assurances of supply (of nuclear fuel) that help build confidence for those states considering nuclear power. These measures include the so-called "IAEA LEU bank", approved in principle by the board in December 2010, with the financial backing of several partners including the EU, and the UK's own proposal for a Nuclear Fuel Assurance.

Office of Fair Trading: Market Study into Dentistry

Lord Lea of Crondall: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will respond to the report by the Office of Fair Trading Dentistry: an OFT market study, published in May 2012.

Earl Howe: The Government Response to the Office of Fair Trading Market Study into Dentistry was published on the department's website on 24 August 2012. This was within the 90-day limit in which the Government have to respond to Office of Fair Trading market studies.
	This document has been placed in the Library and is available on the department's website at: www.dh.gov. uk/health/2012/08/market-study-into-dentistry.

Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012: Security

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many phases of negotiations between G4S and the Home Office were necessary in order to determine the final number of security staff needed for the 2012 Olympic Games; on how many occasions the (1) numbers of such staff, and (2) contract price, were adjusted and by what percentage on each occasion; and what were the exact dates on which (a) the necessity for each increase was notified by G4S, and (b) each was agreed by the Home Office.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The contract to provide security staff for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is between the London Organising Committee, LOCOG, and G4S. The Government have not changed the basic requirement since the Olympic Security Strategy was first published in 2009: all LOCOG competition venues have always been intended to be island sites with 100% search and screening of pedestrians and vehicles.
	LOCOG awarded the contract to G4S on 24 December 2010 to provide 2,000 guards. In August 2011, LOCOG began to discuss with G4S an increase in numbers under the contract. The exact number required had been refined as security planning necessarily had to follow preparations of the detailed Games competition schedule and finalising all venue plans. The deed of variation to the contract, signed by LOCOG and G4S on 15 December 2011, changed the specification so that G4S was now responsible for supplying up to 10,400 guards. The Home Office is providing £553 million to LOCOG for venue security.

Population Growth

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of when the population of London will reach 8.6 million people, its former peak, and what assessment they have made of the implications of such a size for the rest of the United Kingdom.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for the Office for National Statistics, to Lord Patten, dated September 2012
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics I have been asked to reply to your question to Her Majesty's Government asking what estimate they have made of when the population of London will reach 8.6 million people. its former peak, and what assessment they have made of the implications of such a size for the rest of the United Kingdom. [HL2008]
	Estimates of future population are available as population projections. The most recent sub-national population projections are based on mid-year population estimates for 2010 and they project the population of London to reach 8.6 million by mid-2016.
	Sub-national population projections are not forecasts and do not attempt to predict the impact of future government policies, changing economic circumstances or the capacity of an area to accommodate a change in population. They provide an indication of the future size and age structure of the population if recent demographic trends continued.
	The Office for National Statistics is an independent non-ministerial department and does not comment on any assessments of the implications of projected population size.

Rwanda: UN Sanctions Group of Experts Report

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their decision to restore some budget support to Rwanda that they suspended following the publication of a United Nations report accusing Rwanda of sponsoring rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo means they are now satisfied that Rwanda has played no part in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. [FCO]

Baroness Warsi: We believe the UN Sanctions Group of Experts report to be credible. The decision for the UK to disburse half of its delayed General Budget Support (GBS) to Rwanda, while reprogramming the balance through targeted Department for International Development (DFID) programmes, was not taken lightly. It reflects the UK's responsibility to protect the poor and was taken on a basis of the constructive role Rwanda has played in recent International Conference on Great Lake Region (ICGLR) peace talks chaired by President Museveni of Uganda. The Government of Rwanda have also continued to demonstrate their strong commitment to reducing poverty and improving their financial management. Concerns remain over Rwandan involvement with the M23 rebels. The next disbursement of GBS is scheduled for December, and the final Group of Experts report will help inform our disbursement decision.

Admiralty Arch

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are considering selling Admiralty Arch; and, if so, whether they have had any discussions with potential purchasers, and if so whom; and whether a decision has been made, and, if not, when a decision is expected.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Cabinet Office is seeking an alternative use of Admiralty Arch due to the difficulty of providing modern, cost-effective and flexible office space within the constraints of a grade 1 listed building that is not currently suitable for office use. To that end a process to grant a long lease is currently under way. The principal objectives are to protect and reinstate the building's heritage and to enable greater public access than has been the case for the decades it has been in use as a government office, as well as achieving best value for money and addressing security considerations. The Government intend to retain the freehold of the building in perpetuity for the nation.

Armed Forces: Defence Medical Services

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many military secondary care consultants are without permanent NHS employment.

Lord Astor of Hever: Regular Armed Forces Defence Medical Services (DMS) personnel who undertake placements within the NHS remain employed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the duration of their placement. Although embedded into host trusts, Regular Armed Forces personnel do not enter into a permanent employment contract with the NHS.
	The Defence Medical Group oversees placements for DMS personnel within NHS trusts under a business agreement, in accordance with the health service guidance covering arrangements between the MoD and the NHS.
	The latest DMS biannual manning report shows that, as at 1 April 2012, out of 223 DMS secondary healthcare consultants, 196 were placed within the NHS. The remaining 27 consultants were employed in various other military posts, including operational deployments.

Armed Forces: Interpreters

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many former interpreters with United Kingdom forces in Iraq have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom; how many former interpreters with United Kingdom forces in Afghanistan have been granted asylum in the United Kingdom; and in both cases, how many applicants are awaiting decisions.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The data requested are not held in a format compatible with National Statistics protocols, or produced as part of the UK Border Agency's standard reports.
	The Home Office publishes immigration statistics annually and quarterly, which are available from the Home Office Research and Statistics website. This includes information on asylum applications by nationality. The latest statistics can be found in the Library of the House as well as on the following website: www. homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-q2-2012/.

Armed Forces: Mail to Afghanistan

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long it is currently taking for military personnel on patrol and serving on front-line positions in Afghanistan to receive parcels and letters sent from the United Kingdom.

Lord Astor of Hever: The air bridge from the UK to Afghanistan regularly handles up to seven and a half tonnes of mail a day which is usually delivered to theatre within four to seven days. The mail is then delivered to deployed personnel through local distribution arrangements normally within two days. However, higher priority has to be placed on supplying essential military equipment and supplies. In addition, mail for troops deployed in forward operating bases is often held safe until they return from their deployments. In these circumstances it can take up to three weeks for personnel to receive their mail.

Audit Commission: Staff

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many staff were employed by the Audit Commission, including auditors, on 31 March 2010, 31 March 2011, and 31 March 2012; and what was the cost of any changes in the staff complement.

Baroness Hanham: This in an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the Controller of Audit at the Audit Commission to write to the noble Lord direct. I would add that the programme to end routine inspection and assessment, disband the Audit Commission and introduce a new local audit framework will save £650 million of taxpayers' money over the next five years.
	Letter from Marcine Waterman, Controller of Audit for Audit Commission to Lord Christopher, dated 18 September 2012
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply. The Commission employed:
	1,985 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff including auditors on 31 March 2010;
	1,409 FTE staff including auditors on 31 March 2011; and
	1,017 FTE staff including auditors on 31 March 2012.
	968 FTE staff left the organisation between 31 March 2010 and 31 March 2012, some of whom received exit packages.
	The cost of changes in the staff complement (defined as the cost of exit packages paid or provided for) was:
	£26.0 million for 668 staff in 2010/11. £0.2 million paid to these staff appeared in the 2011/12 accounts because actual payments exceeded the estimated provisions; and
	£19.8 million for 366 staff in 2011/12, of whom 98 had left by 31 March and 268 had scheduled leaving dates. This excludes the £0.2 million explained above.
	All of these figures are shown in the Commission's audited statutory accounts.
	A copy of this letter will appear in Hansard.

Batumi

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government when was the last time the United Kingdom Ambassador to Georgia visited Batumi.

Baroness Warsi: Our Ambassador last visited Batumi on 11 and 12 July 2012.

Belize

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have been approached by the government of Belize or other parties to assist Belize in rescheduling its debts.

Lord Sassoon: Her Majesty's Government have not been approached by the Government of Belize or other parties to assist Belize in rescheduling its debts. We continue to have a dialogue with the Government of Belize on a wide range of issues.

Corporation of Trinity House

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the redesign of the Corporation of Trinity House website was sanctioned by the Government; and if so, what were the costs placed on the General Lighthouse Fund.

Lord Newby: The redesign of Trinity House's website in respect of its activities as the General Lighthouse Authority for England and Wales cost £27,730. This cost was met from the annual budget sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government to cover all operating costs.

Crime and Courts Bill

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 17 July (WA 26-7), why the impact assessment on the provisions in clause 20 of the Crime and Courts Bill [HL] does not specifically address the potential impact on the housing security of offenders.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 17 July (WA 26-7), why the impact assessment on the provisions in clause 20 of the Crime and Courts Bill [HL] does not specifically address the potential impact on child poverty levels.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 17 July (WA 26-7), why the impact assessment on the provisions in clause 20 of the Crime and Courts Bill [HL] does not address the potential impact on the number of appeals to magistrates' courts and the associated costs.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 17 July (WA 26-7), whether any discussions have been held by the Ministry of Justice with (1) the Department for Work and Pensions, (2) the Department for Education, or (3) the Office of the Children's Commissioner, regarding the impact on dependent children of proposed charges to recover the costs of collecting fines from offenders.

Lord McNally: An equality impact assessment is designed to ensure that our policies and services are aligned to deliver our public sector equality duties. An equality impact assessment has been made with regard to provisions in Clause 20 which identifies all likely impacts across a range of groups. An impact assessment on the provisions in Clause 20 of the Crime and Courts Bill has been published alongside the Bill and is available at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/ legislation/crime-courts-part2/
	There is a very fine balance between protecting vulnerable debtors as well as ensuring that justice is served and the order of the court is met.
	A fine is means tested and is based on the seriousness of the offence and the individual's ability to pay. Individuals are encouraged to complete their means form to ensure that the level of fine is set accordingly given their circumstances and if arrangements need to be made to assist payment.
	Our aim has always been to increase the number of people who comply with their order and support individuals to pay in the compliance stage, thereby reducing the need for courts to use enforcement action. If offenders, particularly those that could be considered vulnerable, find themselves in hardship it is vitally important that they contact the court before going into default.
	There are a variety of tools to help individuals to meet the order of the court and ensure that they do not default. Payment plans can be varied in their favour; money can be automatically deducted from benefits or earnings and individuals are sign posted to debt advice services. However this can only be done if the individual gets in contact with the court before going into default on their fine. In such circumstances offenders will not be subject to any collection costs or charges.

Dentistry: Training

Lord Colwyn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK dental graduates who applied for a Dental Foundation Training (DFT1) place in August 2012 were unsuccessful.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government why new United Kingdom dental graduates have to complete Dental Foundation year 1 training before they are allocated an NHS performer number; and why graduates from the rest of the European Economic Area and other overseas graduates from non-United Kingdom universities are not subject to the same requirement.

Earl Howe: Thirty-five dental graduates from dental schools in England and Wales were unsuccessful in obtaining a dental foundation training (DFT1) place out of an overall total of 1,145 eligible applicants. The Postgraduate Dental Deans are seeking to make arrangements whereby these dentists can maintain their skills pending the 2013 DFT1 recruitment exercise, in which some training places will be available from February 2013.
	Dentists from the European Economic Area, with a recognised dental diploma, are exempt from dental foundation training in keeping with European wide legislation on mutual recognition of qualifications, which generally prohibits imposition of additional training requirements, or eligibility tests, which obstruct free movement to gain employment.

Departmental Replies: Notepaper

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have issued any guidance to departments regarding the use of departmental notepaper in reply to mail from the general public; and, if so, whether that guidance gives advice as to the inclusion on notepaper of the postal address of the official responding.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: No.

DfID: Operational Plans

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the Department for International Development's Operational Plans have not yet published an annual update for 2012; and why this is the case.

Baroness Northover: There are six DFID operational plans that have not yet published an annual update for 2012. Of these, three have been finalised and will be published by the end of September 2012. The remaining three (Southern Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia (UK Climate Change Unit)) are dependent on the outcome of further work with partner Governments and the interdepartmental UK Climate Change Unit. Operational plans will be published as soon as this work is complete.

DfID: Reserves

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have exceeded their reserve for humanitarian emergencies in any of the last ten years; and, if so, by how much and from where additional funds have been drawn.

Baroness Northover: DfID has not exceeded its reserve for humanitarian emergencies in the past 10 years.

DfID: Spending

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover (HL2047), how Department for International Development input sector codes are allocated across the 10 broad sectors outlined in the 2011 Statistics on International Development; and how these input sector codes are allocated across the 12 sectors in DFID's Annual Report 2011-12.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover (HL2047), why in its Annual Report 2011-12 the Department for International Development's bilateral spending is disaggregated across 12 sectors, whereas in its 2011 Statistics on International Development there are only 10 sectors; and how the 10 sectors in the latter document have been reallocated.

Baroness Northover: In the 2011 Statistics on International Development (SID), DfID published spending against the 10 broad sectors set out in internationally agreed Development Assistance Committee (DAC) reporting requirements.
	In its Annual Report 2011-12, Figure 2.1, DfID disaggregated its bilateral spending across 12 areas which reflect priorities in the bilateral programme. All DfID projects are assigned input sector codes reflecting what the project is targeting. These are mapped to both the twelve areas presented in the Annual Report, and to the ten sectors reported in SID.
	The mapping between the input sector codes and the 10 broad sectors reported in SID is set out in table A3 at the following location: www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications 1 /sid2011 /A2-3.xls
	A table showing the mapping between input sector codes and the twelve sectors presented in the Annual Report is attached and will be released to the House of Lords Library and will published on DfID's website in due course.
	
		
			 Input Sector Codes Mapping - SID to DFID 
			 SID Broad Sector Codes Detailed DFID Input Sector Codes DFID Broad Sector Codes 
			 Economic 21010 Transport Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 21021 Road Transport: Excluding Rural Feeder Roads Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 21022 Road Transport Rural Feeder Roads Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 21031 Other Transport Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 22010 Communications Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 22020 Telecommunications Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 22030 Radio/Television/Print Media: Communications Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 22040 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 23010 Energy Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 23020 Power Generation/Non-Renewable Sources: Energy Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 23030 Power Generation/Renewable Sources: Energy Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 24010 Financial Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 24020 Monetary Institutions Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 24030 Formal Sector Financial Intermediaries Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 24040 Informal/Semi-Formal Financial Intermediaries Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 24081 Education/Training in Banking and Financial Services Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 25010 Business Support Services and Institutions Wealth Creation 
			 Economic 25020 Privatisation Wealth Creation 
			 Education 11010 Education Poverty Reduction Budget Support Education 
			 Education 11020 Education Unallocable/Unspecified Education 
			 Education 11110 Education Policy and Administrative Management Education 
			 Education 11120 Facilities and Training Education Education 
			 Education 11130 Teacher Training Education 
			 Education 11220 Primary Education Education 
			 Education 11230 Basic Life Skills for Youth and Adults Education Education 
			 Education 11240 Pre-School Education 
			 Education 11320 Secondary Education Education 
			 Education 11330 Vocational Training Education 
			 Education 11420 Higher Education Education 
			 Education 11430 Advanced Technical and Managerial Training Education 
			 Environment Protection 41010 Environmental Policy and Administrative Management Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41020 Biosphere Protection Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41031 Bio-Diversity Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41032 Climate Change, Environment Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41090 Climate Change - Low Carbon Emissions Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41092 Climate Change - Cross Cutting Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41093 Climate Change - Adaptation Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41033 Desertification Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41040 Site Preservation Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41050 Flood Prevention/Control Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41060 Environment: Poverty Reduction Budget Support Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41070 Environment Unallocable/Unspecified Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 41081 Environmental Education/ Training Climate Change 
			 Environment Protection 74010 Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Climate Change 
			 Government and Civil Society 15010 Government Poverty Reduction Budget Support Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15020 Government Unallocated/ Unspecified Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15110 Economic and Development Policy/Planning Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15121 Public Sector Financial Management Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15122 Corruption - Public Sector Financial Management Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15130 Legal and Judicial Development Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15141 National Government Administration Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15142 Local Government Administration Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15150 Strengthening Civil Society Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15161 Elections Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15162 Human Rights Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15163 Free Flow of Information Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15164 Women's Equality Organisations and Institutions Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15171 Culture and Recreation Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15172 Statistical Capacity Building Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15173 Narcotics Control Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15210 Security System Management and Reform Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15220 Civilian Peace-Building, Conflict Prevention and Resolution Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15230 Post-Conflict Peace-Building (UN) Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15240 Reintegration and SALW Control Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15250 Land Mine Clearance Governance and Security 
			 Government and Civil Society 15261 Child Soldiers (Prevention and Demobilisation) Governance and Security 
			 Health 13041 HIV/AIDS including STD Prevention HIV/Aids 
			 Health 13042 HIV/AIDS including STD Treatment and Care HIV/Aids 
			 Health 12262 Malaria Control Malaria 
			 Health 12010 Health Poverty Reduction Budget Support Other Health 
			 Health 12020 Health Unallocable/Unspecified Other Health 
			 Health 12110 Health Policy and Administrative Management Other Health 
			 Health 12220 Basic Health Care Other Health 
			 Health 12240 Basic Nutrition Other Health 
			 Health 12250 Infectious Disease Control Other Health 
			 Health 12261 Health Education Other Health 
			 Health 12263 Tuberculosis Control Other Health 
			 Health 12281 Health Personnel Development Other Health 
			 Health 13010 Population Policy and Administrative Management Other Health 
			 Health 13081 Personnel Development for Population and Reproductive Health Other Health 
			 Health 13021 Reproductive Health Care Reproductive, maternal and newborn health 
			 Health 13022 Maternal and Neonatal Health Reproductive, maternal and newborn health 
			 Health 13030 Family Planning Reproductive, maternal and newborn health 
			 Non Sector Allocable 88889 Multilateral Capacity Building and Administration Global Partnerships 
			 Non Sector Allocable 88890 Multilateral Institutions: Secondees to & Staffing of Global Partnerships 
			 Non Sector Allocable 90010 Programme Partnership Agreements Global Partnerships 
			 Non Sector Allocable 92000 Support to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Global Partnerships 
			 Non Sector Allocable 99820 Promotion of Development Awareness Global Partnerships 
			 Non Sector Allocable 93020 Aid to Refugees in Recipient Countries Humanitarian 
			 Non Sector Allocable 60010 Action Relating to Debt Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31210 Forestry Policy and Administrative Management Climate Change 
			 Production 31220 Forestry Development Climate Change 
			 Production 72010 Material Relief Assistance and Services Humanitarian 
			 Production 72050 Relief Coordination, Protection and Support Services Humanitarian 
			 Production 73010 Reconstruction Relief and Rehabilitation Humanitarian 
			 Production 72040 Emergency Food Aid Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Production 31110 Agriculture Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31120 Agricultural Development Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31130 Agricultural Land Resources Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31163 Livestock: Agriculture Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31191 Agricultural Services Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31310 Fishing Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 31320 Fishery Development Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32110 Industrial Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32120 Industrial Development Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32130 Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME): Development Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32210 Mineral/Mining Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32310 Construction Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 32350 Production Poverty Reduction Budget Support Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33110 Trade Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33120 Trade Facilitation Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33130 Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33140 Multilateral Trade Negotiations Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33181 Trade Education/Training Wealth Creation 
			 Production 33210 Tourism Policy and Administrative Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 43050 Non-Agricultural Alternative Development Wealth Creation 
			 Production 43020 Poverty Reduction Budget Support for Econ. Infrastructure & Dev. Planning Wealth Creation 
			 Production 43030 Urban Development and Management Wealth Creation 
			 Production 43040 Rural Development Wealth Creation 
			 Research 80010 Economic Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80011 Education Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80012 Health Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80013 Water Supply and Sanitation Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80014 Governance Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80015 Social Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80016 Humanitarian Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80017 Renewable Natural Resources Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80018 Environment Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80019 Energy Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80020 Agricultural Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80021 Forestry Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80022 Fishery Research Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80023 Technological Research and Development Global Partnerships 
			 Research 80024 Unspecified/Unallocated Research Global Partnerships 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16011 Social Protection Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16012 Social Other Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16020 Employment Policy & Admin Management Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16030 Housing Policy and Admin Management Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16040 Low-cost Housing Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 16070 Poverty Reduction Budget Support-Social infrastructure and services Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Social Infrastructure and Services 52010 Food Aid and Food Security Programmes Poverty, Hunger and Vulnerability 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14010 Water Resources Policy and Administrative Management Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14015 Water Resources Protection Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14020 Water Supply and Sanitation Large Systems Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14021 Water Supply - Large Systems Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14030 Basic Drinking Water Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14031 Basic drinking water supply Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14032 Basic sanitation Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14040 River Development Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14050 Waste Management and Disposal Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14060 Water Poverty Reduction Budget Support Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14070 Water Unallocable/Unspecified Water and Sanitation 
			 Water Supply and Sanitation 14081 Education and Training Water and Sanitation

Education: Student Loans

The Lord Bishop of Ripon and Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to review the impact on access to further education of the move from grants to loans for funding further education for those over 24.

Lord Marland: The introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans will be evaluated following the launch of the loan applications system in April 2013. The evaluation will monitor the take-up of loans among the eligible group of learners aged 24 and above studying at level 3 and above, and consider the benefits of learning funded by a loan. It will also consider the response to loans from specific groups, including vulnerable learners.
	This evaluation activity will build on research commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and published in May 2012 on the attitudes of learners towards loans. This research informed the regulatory impact assessment and equality impact assessment of the loans policy published by BIS in June 2012.

Education: Student Loans

The Lord Bishop of Ripon and Leeds: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether those over 24 who use a further education course to access higher education will need to take out two loans; and, if so, what provision is available to alleviate any financial pressure put on such students.

Lord Marland: From 2013-14, 24+ Advanced Learning Loans will be available for those aged 24 and over to undertake further education courses at level 3 and above. This will remove the need for these learners to pay fees up front for these courses and means they will have to repay only once they have left their course and are earning over £21,000. If these learners subsequently progress into higher education and take out further loans, they will still repay only a fixed amount of 9% of their income above £21,000 once they have left their higher education (HE) course.
	On 12 July, Ministers from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced an extensive and substantial package of support measures to be introduced alongside 24+ Advanced Learning Loans. This included an offer to write off any outstanding balance on a loan taken out for an Access to HE Diploma, on completion of a subsequent HE course. This measure was brought in specifically for Access to HE Diplomas as they are designed solely to help people progress to HE, in contrast with other further education courses. The package of measures also included a £50 million bursary fund to be disbursed by colleges and training organisations to help vulnerable learners meet additional costs associated with learning.

Elections: Malpractice

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of electoral fraud in relation to postal votes in each of the last 10 years.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of elections that have had to be re-run as a result of electoral malpractice in each of the last 10 years.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government take the integrity of the electoral system, and the perceived integrity of the system, very seriously and, in order to reduce the possibility of fraudulent entries to be included in the register, are speeding up the implementation of individual electoral registration through the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill to strengthen the security of the system and reinforce public confidence in elections.
	The Government have not made any assessment of the effect of the level of electoral fraud in relation to postal votes nor of the elections that have had to be re-run as a result of electoral malpractice in each of the last 10 years. However, since 2008 the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers have produced joint reports on the integrity of national elections. The March 2012 joint report by the Electoral Commission and ACPO found that the level of proven cases of electoral fraud remained low.

Elections: Postal Votes

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of electoral returning officers verifying 100 per cent of postal votes.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government's proposal to bring forward legislation to make it mandatory for Returning Officers to check 100% of postal vote identifiers will help to ensure that any cases of suspected malpractice can be identified and reported to the police where warranted. It also reflects a general commitment which has been shown by Returning Officers in recent years both at local and national polls to check all postal vote identifiers which have been returned with postal votes.
	For the purposes of the European Parliamentary elections in 2009, the UK parliamentary election in 2010 and the referendum on the voting system in 2011, a total of £9.4 million was provided centrally to enable Returning Officers and Counting Officers to check 100% of postal vote identifiers at these polls. We will review the actual amounts which were spent against the original allocation to determine the level of funding which Returning Officers will require to check 100% of postal vote identifiers at future UK parliamentary and European parliamentary elections.

Electoral Registration and Administration Bill

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their proposals in the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill on levels of electoral registration (1) among young people aged between 18 and 25, (2) among students, (3) among people with learning disabilities, (4) among people with disabilities more generally. (5) among people living in areas of high social deprivation, (6) among ethnic minorities, (7) in England, (8) in Scotland, (9) in Wales, (10) in metropolitan areas, (11) in urban areas, (12) in suburban areas, (13) in rural areas, (14) in coastal regions, (15) in Parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Conservative MPs, (16) in Parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Labour MPs. and (17) in Parliamentary constituencies currently represented by Liberal Democrats MPs.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government have carried out a detailed programme of research to inform their decision-making on the implementation of Individual Electoral Registration. They have funded the Electoral Commission to publish an updated study on the Completeness and Accuracy of the Electoral Register to understand the scale of the challenge; they have funded an independent academic to carry out a literature review of all available research into electoral registration; and they have commissioned a qualitative study which explored the barriers to registration for those groups missing from the register under the current system, and those most at risk during the transition to IER. All of this information has been made publicly available to inform parliamentary scrutiny and debates (which is available on the Cabinet Office website).

Electoral Registration

Lord Wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to monitor levels of electoral registration in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, (4) 2018, (5) 2019 and (6) 2020.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding they will provide for monitoring levels of electoral registration in (1) 2015, (2) 2016, (3) 2017, (4) 2018, (5) 2019 and (6) 2020.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government funded a major Electoral Commission study of the completeness and accuracy of Great Britain's electoral registers in 2011, providing the first completeness estimates since those for the 2000 electoral registers for England and Wales and the first for accuracy since 1981.
	The commission will carry out a "before and after" assessment of the completeness and accuracy of the electoral register over the transition to individual electoral registration, as set out in the report of its 2011 research (Electoral Commission, Great Britain's Electoral Registers 2011, pp. 7-8).
	Beyond the December 2015 register, the Government expect the commission to continue its ongoing work monitoring the completeness and accuracy of electoral registers in the United Kingdom

European Convention on Human Rights: Russia

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, in line with Article 46(4) of the European Convention on Human Rights, to refer infringement proceedings against Russia to the European Court of Human Rights, following more than 200 judgments against Russia for breaches of the Convention in Chechnya and the North Caucasus.

Baroness Warsi: We remain deeply concerned about grave human rights violations in the North Caucasus region, including allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture and disappearances of individuals. We have made clear to the Russian Government, most recently at the UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue in July, that putting an end to human rights violations is a vital element in the achievement of a long-term solution to the North Caucasus problems.
	We will continue to call for Russia to implement fully European Court of Human Rights judgements, including pressing on individual cases through the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. To that end we will consider all of the tools at the Committee of Ministers' disposal.

European Investment Bank

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sassoon on 23 July (WA 90), on what evidence they base their confidence in the European Investment Bank's record of due diligence.

Lord Sassoon: As set out in the European Investment Bank's (EIB) Financial Report, as at 31 December 2011 the level of impaired loans amounted to 0.09% of the total loan portfolio.
	As Moody's noted in a recent ratings report, "the EIB maintains careful project selection and monitoring as well as conservative policies regarding asset/liability management, credit risk management, and liquidity and borrowing controls".

EU: VAT

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on United Kingdom interests of the application to the sale of digital books and other digital publications of a 3 per cent VAT rate by Luxembourg and a 5.5 per cent VAT rate by France.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made about the compatibility of the application to the sale of digital books and other digital publications of a 3 per cent VAT rate by Luxembourg and a 5.5 per cent VAT rate by France with Council Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax (as amended); and what steps they have taken to persuade the European Commission to investigate the issue.

Lord Sassoon: The Government do not believe that the reduced rates applied to digital books and other publications by France and Luxembourg, the effects of which it has not assessed, are compatible with the European Council Directive on the common system of value added tax. It is in the UK's interest to ensure that agreed European Union rules are enforced. The Government made their views clear to the European Commission, part of whose function is to ensure that EU law is upheld by member states. In a press release on 3 July 2012 the Commission announced the start of investigations into whether there had been an infringement of EU level legislation.

Finance: Kay Review

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to respond formally to the Kay Review, published in July 2012; and whether they accept the Report's recommendations concerning fiduciary duties.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned an independent review of the metrics and models employed in the investment chain, as recommended in the Kay Review.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has welcomed the Kay Review's final report, calling it an important and timely contribution to the discussion of how we achieve equity markets that play a vital part in ensuring we have well run companies providing sustainable returns for investors.
	The Government are currently considering all of Professor Kay's recommendations in depth and look forward to responding in detail later this year.

Finance: Kay Review

Baroness Drake: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement Recommendation 7 of the Kay Review of equity markets that "regulatory authorities at EU and domestic level should apply fiduciary standards to all relationships in the investment chain which involve discretion over the investments of others, or advice in investment decisions".

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has welcomed the Kay Review's final report, calling it an important and timely contribution to the discussion of how we achieve equity markets that play a vital part in ensuring we have well run companies providing sustainable returns for investors.
	The Government are currently considering all of Professor Kay's recommendations in depth and look forward to responding in detail later this year.

Financial Stability: Algorithmic Trading

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the risks to financial stability arising from algorithmic trading in United Kingdom equities.

Lord Sassoon: The implications of algorithmic trading are being considered under the review of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II). The Government, alongside the Financial Services Authority, are working with European partners to ensure that the MiFID II review appropriately considers the impacts of these technological developments to financial markets.
	The Government have also commissioned work, which is being led by the Government Office for Science under the Foresight programme, on the future of computer trading in financial markets. The work includes an assessment of the impact of algorithmic trading. The report is due in autumn 2012.

Financial Stability: Quantitative Easing

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the monetary base is not expanding in line with the value of quantitative easing.

Lord Sassoon: The monetary base, or narrow money, includes notes and coins in circulation and commercial banks' reserves held at the Bank of England.
	The monetary base has expanded as quantitative easing (QE) has increased. Data published by the Bank of England show that in August 2012 the total amount outstanding of narrow money was £315 billion, of which £63 billion was notes and coins while £252 billion was reserve balances.
	The overall stock of reserves reflects both supply and demand factors. QE has increased the supply of reserves, but commercial banks have partially offset that by reducing the amount of reserves borrowed from the Bank of England via Open Market Operations.
	The Bank of England's asset purchases during QE have largely been from non-bank financial institutions, including insurance companies and pension funds, which use the money received to purchase other assets such as corporate bonds and equities. Monetary Policy Committee members have stated that QE has been designed to circumvent the impaired banking system, by stimulating activity in the capital markets.

Financial Stability: Quantitative Easing

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered cancelling the gilt-edged securities acquired under quantitative easing.

Lord Sassoon: The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has operational responsibility for monetary policy. Under the policy of quantitative easing (QE), the MPC makes decisions related to the appropriate stock of asset purchases required to meet the inflation target in the medium term.
	The separation of fiscal and monetary policy is a key feature of the UK's economic policy framework. To use monetary policy tools to meet fiscal objectives, such as financing government borrowing, could conflict with the MPC's objective of price stability and undermine confidence in the UK's monetary and fiscal policy frameworks.
	QE can be reversed by the MPC when it judges the time is right to tighten monetary policy in order to meet the inflation target in the medium term. Just as the purchase of assets with new central bank reserves eases monetary policy, so the sale of such assets back to the private sector would tighten monetary policy. The Bank can facilitate that tightening by selling the assets that are held by the Asset Purchase Facility.

Fire and Rescue Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on metropolitan fire and rescue services outside London of the reduction in funding in the first two years of the current Comprehensive Spending Review.

Baroness Hanham: Metropolitan fire and rescue authorities outside London have had a change in their revenue spending power of -5.1% in 2011-12 and -1.8% in 2012-13.
	Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to tackle the budget deficit left by the previous Administration, including local government which accounts for one-quarter of all public spending. Fire and rescue authorities should be seeking to make sensible savings without impacting on the quality or breadth of services offered to their communities.
	Areas where we believe significant saving can be found include flexible staffing arrangements, improved sickness management, pay restraint, sharing services and back office functions, improved procurement and sharing chief fire officers and other senior staff.

Fire and Rescue Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government why, in the first two years of the current Comprehensive Spending Review, metropolitan fire and rescue services outside London received reductions in funding which were twice the national average, given that their initial equalities impact assessment in 2010 recognised that deprived areas would be worst affected by funding reductions.

Baroness Hanham: The Government used the same distribution formula inherited from the previous Administration. However, we increased the relative needs weighting so that more money followed socioeconomic indicators, benefiting metropolitan areas. In addition, overall metropolitan fire and rescue authorities benefit from some £26 million in 2011-13 thanks to the protection offered through floor damping.

Fire and Rescue Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have made to representations from the Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities on the impact of larger than average reductions in funding on their ability to provide fire fighters and fire engines to assist national resilience at a major incident involving terrorism or flooding.

Baroness Hanham: Ministers and officials regularly meet with representatives from all types of fire and rescue authorities, including meeting with representatives for the Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities. The Government will consider the representations that they and other fire and rescue authorities will make when making funding decisions for 2013-14.

Fire and Rescue Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the financial settlement for 2013-15, they will take into account representations made by the Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities that they should not repeat the distribution formula used in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ensure a fair settlement for the funding of all fire and rescue services in 2013-15, along the lines proposed by the Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities; and, if not, why not.

Baroness Hanham: The Association of Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Authorities submission has been noted.
	On 17 July 2012 the Government published Technical Consultation on Business Rates Retention, detailing proposals for local authority funding from 2013-14. Responses are welcomed from all fire and rescue authorities by the closing date of 24 September 2012. All representations will be considered before final decisions are made. Provisional fire and rescue authority funding baselines will be announced at the usual time-in late November or early December this year.

Food: Free Food Banks

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many free food banks are reported as being in operation in England (1) on 1 January 2011, (2) on 1 January 2012, and (3) currently.

Lord Newby: The Government do not collect data on the number of food banks.

Georgia

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the presence of Russian troops in Georgia.

Baroness Warsi: We continue to press for full Russian compliance with the Sarkozy-Medvedev six-point agreement, including Russian troop withdrawal to pre-2008 positions. By not fully complying with the agreement and by consolidating its military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russia is adding to tensions in the region. The UK fully supports Georgia's territorial integrity, and seeks a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

Government: Official Visits

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint (HL1850), what were the 42 countries visited by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint in his ministerial capacity.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: I have visited the following countries:
	France
	Switzerland
	Spain
	Qatar
	Kuwait
	Jordan
	Egypt
	India
	China
	Turkey
	United States of America*
	Germany*
	France*
	Brazil
	Belgium
	Nigeria
	South Africa
	United Arab Emirates
	Saudi Arabia
	Qatar*
	Russia*
	Libya
	Australia
	South Korea
	Taiwan
	Germany*
	Poland
	China*
	Pakistan
	Italy
	Sweden
	Norway
	Denmark
	Singapore
	Malaysia
	Thailand
	Czech Republic
	Romania
	Japan*
	Indonesia
	Malaysia*
	Turkey*
	Canada
	Latvia
	Lithuania
	Estonia
	Finland
	Mexico
	* Denotes countries visited more than once.

Government: Official Visits

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint (HL1850), what were the names, designations and roles of all officials who accompanied Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint on each of his official visits overseas.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: As is generally the case with other government Ministers, I am accompanied by a Private Secretary and, in rare cases, by an official with expertise in the specific country or region. The designation of officials ranges from junior through to senior civil servants.
	Details of overseas visits I have undertaken are published on the department's website at http://www.bis. gov.uk/transparency/staff.

Government: Official Visits

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint (HL1850), why the official visits by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint are not listed on the Cabinet Office website, as stated in that Answer; and where they are listed.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: I apologise for previously stating that my official visits are listed on the Cabinet Office website; this is not the case. They are in fact listed on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills website as per Cabinet Office guidance:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff

Government: Official Visits

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint (HL1850), what is the estimated total cost of the official overseas visits undertaken by Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint.

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: As per Cabinet Office guidance, all my travel costs are published on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill's website:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/transparency/staff

Health: Babies

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they collect about the numbers and percentages of babies conceived in each of the last ten years (1) without medical intervention, and (2) through in vitro fertilisation, which result in a baby with (a) abnormalities of the heart, and (b) other significant abnormalities.

Earl Howe: Data on congenital anomalies are not held centrally by the department, but are and published by the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR).
	The information provided in the following table gives the numbers of babies born with severe congenital heart defects and all other anomalies in the English registers for 2001-2010. However, it is not possible to say whether these babies were conceived without medical intervention or with In vitro fertilisation (IVF).
	These data are for the following five English regional congenital anomaly registers-Berkshire & Buckinghamshire (CAROBB), East Midlands & South Yorkshire (EMSYCAR), Northern region (NorCAS), South West region (SWCAR), and Wessex (WANDA). They cover 32% of the births in England.
	
		
			 Table: Number of babies born with severe congenital heart defects and all other anomalies, 2001-2010 
			 Year of birth Population Severe congenital heart defects1 All other anomalies2 
			 Number of cases Prevalence per 10,000 total births Number of cases Prevalence per 10,000 total births  
			 2001 115,495 267 23.1 2,361 204.4 
			 2002 115,838 249 21.5 2,498 215.6 
			 2003 127,566 279 21.9 2,509 196.7 
			 2004 131,510 317 24.1 2,534 192.7 
			 2005 198,315 447 22.5 4,337 218.7 
			 2006 206,063 454 22.0 4,663 226.3 
			 2007 212,953 479 22.5 4,619 216.9 
			 2008 218,616 441 20.2 4,617 211.2 
			 2009 217,861 442 20.3 4,552 208.9 
			 2010 223,943 470 21.0 4,327 193.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1 Includes babies with multiple anomalies
	2 Excludes babies with multiple anomalies where one is a severe congenital heart defect
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) holds a register of IVF treatment and number of resulting births, as defined in section 31 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended).
	HFEA licensed centres report to the HFEA if a congenital abnormality is observed at the time of birth but this is not a mandatory requirement.

Health: Cervical Cancer

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deaths from cervical cancer were recorded in England and Wales in 2011; and, given the link between Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and cervical cancer, what steps they are taking to promote awareness amongst adolescent girls of the protection provided by the HPV vaccination.

Earl Howe: The number of deaths recorded in England from cervical cancer in 2011 was 781.
	The department is responsible for the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme in England. The department publishes leaflets, posters and web-based information to promote HPV vaccination. These materials are used locally by primary care trusts, general practitioners and others to inform girls of the benefits of HPV vaccination.
	The HPV vaccination programme is one of the most successful in the world and is now embedded in the national routine immunisation schedule. In the 2010-11 academic year 84.2% of girls aged 12-13 received the recommended three doses of HPV vaccine.

Health: Circumcision

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding by Dr Aaron Tobian and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore that male circumcision confers health benefits, and what steps they will take to ensure that parents have access to information on the subject.

Earl Howe: We have not made any assessment of the recent findings by Dr Aaron Tobian and colleagues in relation to the health benefits of male circumcision. The department has no plans to provide guidance on circumcision.

Health: Clinical Commissioning Groups

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that clinical commissioning groups are able to benefit from local expertise by recruiting secondary care clinicians from their area.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ease the geographical restrictions on the recruitment of secondary care clinicians by clinical commissioning groups.

Earl Howe: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 places a duty on clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to obtain appropriate advice from a broad range of health and care professionals to enable them to discharge their functions effectively. This would include secondary care clinicians, and engagement with secondary care will be essential in the redesign of health services.
	The National Health Service (Clinical Commissioning Groups) Regulations 2012 require that each CCG governing body include at least one secondary care specialist. As we have made clear, to avoid any conflict of interest, it is essential that the doctor is not employed by a provider from which the CCG usually commissions services. There are no plans to alter these restrictions.
	However, this provision applies only to this mandatory, statutory role, and does not prevent CCGs from including other secondary care staff-including those employed by a provider from whom the CCG commissions services-in their governing body, or committees or sub-committees, or working with them in other ways.

Health: Foundation Trusts

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current Department of Health guidelines on the appointment of non-executive directors of Foundation Trusts.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of non-executive directors appointed to Foundation Trusts since May 2010 are primarily experienced in the private sector.

Earl Howe: Schedule 7 of the National Health Service Act 2006 sets out how appointments to the board of directors of NHS foundation trusts are made. The procedure for appointments should be formal, rigorous and transparent. Monitor provides guidance for board level appointments in The NHS Foundation Trust Code of Governance (section c, pages 16 to 17), which is available at:
	www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk/homeinews-events-and-publicationsiour-publicationsibrowse¬ category/guidance-foundation-trusts/mandat-3
	The guidance was last updated to apply from 1 April 2010.
	Information about appointed non-executive directors in foundation trusts is not held centrally.

Health: Medical Students

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the benefits to United Kingdom medical students of elective periods overseas, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy regarding overseas medical students gaining experience from elective periods in the United Kingdom.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of overseas medical students who come to the United Kingdom each year to gain experience in healthcare.

Earl Howe: The Government have no role in the organisation of electives, but recognise their value to medical students in providing valuable experience. Many United Kingdom medical schools offer students the chance to do their electives abroad and many take the opportunity.
	Information on the number of overseas medical students coming to the UK for experience is not held centrally. A recent survey undertaken by Medsin of medical schools has shown that the UK hosts around 150 per year.

Health: NHS

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients from Scotland received NHS treatment in hospitals in England in the most recent full year for which figures are available.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the cross-border charges levied for patients from Scotland receiving NHS treatment in hospitals in England in the most recent full year for which figures are available.

Earl Howe: The following tables show the number of inpatient finished admission episodes, outpatient attendances and accident and emergency attendances for patients resident in Scotland and treated in English hospitals for financial year 2010-11, the last for which finalised audited data are available.
	
		
			 Inpatient Admission Episodes (FAEs) 
			 Year Month Scotland Total FAEs 
			 2010 April 674 1,197,916 
			 2010 May 608 1,214,441 
			 2010 June 662 1,267,020 
			 2010 July 802 1,271,826 
			 2010 August 712 1,207,305 
			 2010 September 697 1,265,420 
			 2010 October 722 1,260,699 
			 2010 November 644 1,288,492 
			 2010 December 528 1,185,182 
			 2011 January 615 1,223,968 
			 2011 February 522 1,173,697 
			 2011 March 625 1,334,848 
			 Total 2010-11 7,811 14,890,814 
		
	
	
		
			 Outpatient Attendances 
			 Year Month Scotland Total Attendances 
			 2010 April 1,414 5,625,951 
			 2010 May 1,332 5,589,873 
			 2010 June 1,603 6,187,189 
			 2010 July 1,541 6,024,397 
			 2010 August 1,365 5,586,435 
			 2010 September 1,506 6,132,641 
			 2010 October 1,515 5,815,430 
			 2010 November 1,532 6,266,164 
			 2010 December 1,072 4,978,292 
			 2011 January 1,424 5,870,157 
			 2011 February 1,360 5,675,057 
			 2011 March 1,622 6,514,378 
			 Total 2010-11 17,286 70,265,964 
		
	
	
		
			 A+E Attendances 
			 Year Month Scotland Total Attendances 
			 2010 April 1,552 1,361,001 
			 2010 May 1,443 1,443,785 
			 2010 June 1,562 1,397,321 
			 2010 July 2,686 1,442,289 
			 2010 August 1,874 1,345,139 
			 2010 September 1,511 1,346,328 
			 2010 October 1,553 1,356,486 
			 2010 November 968 1,285,427 
			 2010 December 1,113 1,322,514 
			 2011 January 1,020 1,311,577 
			 2011 February 948 1,212,860 
			 2011 March 1,193 1,420,207 
			 Total 2010-11 17,423 16,244,934 
		
	
	Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre. It should be noted that for each of these measures, the number does not necessarily equate to the number of patients as it is possible for an individual to have more than one admission or attendance within the period. Along the Scottish border, English National Health Service providers (NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts) enter into agreements with commissioners in Scotland which include predictions of the required volume of treatment, and the level and speed of payment.

Health: Secondary Care Clinicians

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of clinical commissioning groups have so far appointed a secondary care clinician to their board.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure that the NHS Commissioning Board monitors clinical commissioning groups to ensure they employ the best experienced secondary care clinicians to their boards.

Earl Howe: No information is held on current recruitment levels at emerging clinical commissioning group (CCG) governing bodies. It will be for the NHS Commissioning Board (the Board), once established, to scrutinise the governance arrangements of prospective CCGs as part of the authorisation process to ensure governing bodies meet the requirements as set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the National Health Service (Clinical Commissioning Groups) Regulations 2012.
	In considering applications from CCGs to be established and authorised to take on their commissioning functions, the Board must satisfy itself that CCGs have appointed governing body members (which must include at least one secondary care doctor) with the right skills and competencies to discharge their responsibilities.
	To support CCGs in the recruitment of appropriately qualified individuals to their governing bodies, the NHS Commissioning Board Authority has published Towards Establishment: Creating Responsive and Accountable Clinical Commissioning Groups and CCG Governing Body Members: Role Outlines, Attributes and Skills. These documents explain the core and specific skill sets expected of governing body members, including for the mandatory secondary care doctor role.

HMRC

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have calculated what preparation, recruitment and staff training HM Revenue and Customs would be required to undertake before the introduction of a tax on wealth; and how long such a process would take.

Lord Sassoon: HM Revenue & Customs keeps its resourcing requirements under review in conjunction with policy developments. The department maintains the necessary level of tax expertise to enable it to assess the legislative and operational impact arising from proposed policy measures and their timely and cost-effective delivery.

Immigration: Support Applications

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications for support under (1) section 4(1)(a), and (2) section 4(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 1999 were (a) received, (b) granted, (c) refused, and (d) initially refused but subsequently granted on appeal, in (i) the first six months of 2012, and (ii) 2011.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Home Office does not collect statistics on the number of applications, grants, refusals and appeals made under Section 4(1)a and (b) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Obtaining these data would require a manual search of individual case files held on asylum support, which would incur disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on the number of failed asylum seekers accommodated by the UK Border Agency under Section 4(2) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 as of the end of June 2012 are available from Table as.18.q (asylum Excel tables volume 5) within Immigration Statistics April-June 2012: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/immigration-asylum-research/immigration-tabs-q2-2012/
	
		
			 Table as.18.q: Asylum seekers in receipt of Section 4 or Section 98 support, and decisions to grant Section 4 support 
			 Quarter Total supported under Section 98 as at the end of the quarter Total supported under Section 4 as at the end of the quarter Total grants of support under Section 4 during the quarter 
			 2005 Q3 .. 7,631 .. 
			 2005 Q4 .. 5,145 .. 
			 2006 Q1 .. 5,436 .. 
			 2006 Q2 .. 6,145 .. 
			 2006 Q3 1,972 5,982 .. 
			 2006 Q4 1,523 6,554 .. 
			 2007 Q1 1,077 8,782 2,007 
			 2007 Q2 851 9,365 1,637 
			 2007 Q3 1,252 9,498 1,478 
			 2007 Q4 1,441 9,141 1,584 
			 2008 Q1 1,105 9,367 1,873 
			 2008 Q2 1,025 9,618 2,219 
			 2008 Q3 1,278 10,221 2,438 
			 2008 Q4 1,240 10,296 2,578 
			 2009 Q1 1,249 10,850 2,907 
			 2009 Q2 846 11,388 3,141 
			 2009 Q3 822 12,019 2,619 
			 2009 Q4 634 11,655 1,442 
			 2010 Q1 704 8,661 1,330 
			 2010 Q2 544 6,751 2,038 
			 2010 Q3 653 4,412 1,815 
			 2010 Q4 650 3,560 1,438 
			 2011 Q1 714 2,702 1,210 
			 2011 Q2 809 2,461 929 
			 2011 Q3 883 2,393 853 
			 2011 Q4 962 2,310 796 
			 2012 Q1 668 2,232 875 
			 2012 Q2 847 2,360 1,067

International Passenger Surveys

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 3 July (WA 152), why International Passenger Survey (IPS) interviews for foreign residents arriving in the United Kingdom are half the average length of IPS interviews; whether children are interviewed; what are the most common reasons for declining an interview; and what steps are taken in the case of an illiterate non-English speaker.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 3 July (WA 152), how many self-completion questionnaires in Romanian have been issued in the last five years; and what proportion this represents of the total number of self-completion questionnaires issued.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Stephen Penneck, Director General for the Office for National Statistics, to Lord Laird, dated September 2012
	Dear Lord Laird
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Questions to Her Majesty's Government, asking
	• why International Passenger Survey (IPS) interviews for foreign residents arriving in the United Kingdom are half the average length of IPS interviews; whether children are interviewed; what are the most common reasons for declining an interview; and what steps are taken in case of an illiterate non-English speaker. HL2094
	• how many self-completion questionnaires in Romanian have been issued in the last five years; and what proportion this represents of the total number of self-completion questionnaires issued. HL2095
	I am able to report the following details.
	1. The IPS is a multi-purpose survey, including provision of statistics relating to overseas travel and tourism (i.e. visits of less than 12 months' duration), and international migration. The vast majority of passengers sampled on IPS are visiting for less than 12 months. These passengers are asked a shorter interview of approximately two minutes as they start their visit (i.e. overseas residents in the case of arrivals interviews) and a longer interview of approximately four minutes when they end their visit (i.e. UK residents for arrivals interviews). The latter includes questions probing details such as spending on the visit, length of stay, main purpose of visit.
	2. Children are selected for interview on IPS. The information relating to the child's visit is typically provided by an accompanying adult on the child's behalf.
	3. It is typically not possible to gauge the reason for declining an interview as the respondent will simply refuse to take part. Such cases are recorded as "refused". In 2011, 1.5% of cases refused.
	4. In the case of an illiterate non-English speaker the interviewer will (unless s/he is able to speak that language) seek to ask help from passengers accompanying this individual to gain the information that is required. Further, steps are taken to obtain nationality and residence information from that respondent (for example by asking to see their passport) and this information is used in subsequent analysis. Other steps are taken in cases of language or literacy difficulties, including use of foreign language questionnaires and conducting the full interview verbally without requiring the respondent to read anything.
	5. In the last five years 57 self-completion questionnaires have been completed by Romanian nationals. This represents 3.5% of the total number of self-completion questionnaires issued.
	Yours sincerely,
	Stephen Penneck
	Director General for ONS

Iraq: Chilcot Inquiry

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government why the publication of the report of the Iraq inquiry chaired by Sir John Chilcot has been delayed.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The inquiry is independent of government, and the completion of its report is a matter for the inquiry committee. Sir John Chilcot wrote to the Prime Minister on 13 July to inform him of the inquiry's progress. Pulling together and analysing the evidence and identifying lessons learnt for a report that covers such a wide and complex range of issues across a nine-year period is a very significant task. Considerable progress has been made but there is still much to be done. Sir John advised the Prime Minister that the inquiry will be in a position to begin the Maxwellisation process (by which individuals subject to criticism in the report are given the opportunity to make representations to the inquiry before the report is finalised) by the middle of 2013. The report will be submitted to the Prime Minister once that process is complete. Sir John's letter and the Prime Minister's response have both been published on the Iraq inquiry website.

Isles of Scilly: Helicopter Services

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have to provide short-term and long-term assistance to the Isles of Scilly following the decision by British International Helicopter Services Limited to cease its scheduled service to the Isles on 31 October.

Earl Attlee: We understand that the operators of the ferry and fixed-wing air services are considering what they can do in the short term to meet the demand for travel, and that efforts are being made locally to explore whether other potential helicopter operators would be willing to provide services. We hope there is a positive outcome to these discussions.
	The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the honourable Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), met with a delegation from the Isles of Scilly on Monday 10 September.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Steel of Aikwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the Government of Israel concerning its plans to demolish eight villages in the South Hebron hills in the occupied West Bank for the purpose of creating an Israeli Defence Forces base.

Baroness Warsi: We have raised our concerns about the threatened demolitions in villages in the South Hebron hills with the Israeli authorities, highlighting the adverse effect these would have on the local population. Our ambassador to Israel raised our strong concerns to Israel's Co-ordinator of Government Activities in the Territories on 10 July and again on 16 July.
	Our consul-general in Jerusalem visited the communities under threat of demolition and displacement with European Union (EU) partners on 13 August, to demonstrate concern at the humanitarian impact of any house demolitions and forced transfer of population, and to express the UK and EU's commitment to a sustainable future for the Palestinian communities in Area C.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the result of the meeting on 16 July between HM Ambassador in Tel Aviv, HM Consul-General in Jerusalem, and Major-General Dangot; whether the meeting enabled all of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's approved projects to be started; and what impact the meeting had on the position of 28 further projects for which approval was pending.

Baroness Warsi: Our ambassador in Tel Aviv and consul-general in Jerusalem raised our concerns relating to the difficulties in importing construction materials into Gaza with the Co-ordinator of the Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Major General Dangot on 16 July. Along with our European partners, we are urging Israel to allow an increase in large-scale imports of construction and raw materials for the private sector and international reconstruction and development projects, a relaxation on movement of people, particularly between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
	Following the meeting on 16 July, we have sought a further update from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) on the status of the 28 projects for which approval was pending. On 12 September, UNRWA was informed by COGAT that 10 projects had been rejected.
	We have concerns about the lack of transparency over the approvals process and will continue to monitor this issue closely.

Israel and Palestine

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last discussed with the government of Israel that government's refusal to allow residence in Israel to the spouses of Israel's Palestinian citizens born in the West Bank or outside Israel; what was the result of such discussion; and, if it was negative, whether they will renew it.

Baroness Warsi: While Israeli nationality law and immigration into Israel are matters for the Israeli Government and parliament, we and European Union partners have concerns about the implications of the "Nationality and Entry into Israel" law for the families of Arab Israelis and Palestinian permanent residents in East Jerusalem who have married, or wish to marry, Palestinians from the West Bank or Gaza. In many cases the law has made it difficult or impossible for Palestinians to get permission to join their spouses or parents in East Jerusalem, which we regard as occupied territory.
	Along with our EU partners, we regularly raise issues relating to access and residency in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Israel and Palestine: Israeli Settlers

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will ban Israeli settlers in the West Bank, who have been convicted of offences against Palestinians or against whom evidence exists of illegal acts or breaches of international law, from entry into the United Kingdom.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: There are no plans to ban Israeli citizens who live in the West Bank from travelling to the United Kingdom. Israeli citizens who hold valid travel documents may travel to the UK and seek permission to enter if they meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules.

Legal Services: Triennial Review

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the cost of the Triennial Review of the Legal Services Board and the Office for Legal Complaints, published in July 2012.

Lord McNally: The estimated cost of the Triennial Review to the department is £22,000. This includes staff, publication and travel costs.

Local Government: Local Audit Bill

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government what practical steps they have taken to anticipate and prepare for the implementation of the Draft Local Audit Bill; and what were the costs of those steps.

Baroness Hanham: In anticipation of the implementation of the Local Audit Bill we asked the commission to outsource the work of its in-house audit practice to the private sector, the final step of which will be the transfer of the audit practice staff on 31 October 2012. The commission has also scaled back other activities, for example, its programme of research and publications, in preparation for moving to a small residual body by April 2013. My officials are working closely with the commission, other government departments and key partners to prepare for the transfer of regulatory and other responsibilities to other bodies when the commission closes.
	The Department provided a guarantee to the Audit Commission pension scheme in May 2012. By providing the guarantee we were able to avoid early crystallisation of liabilities and a potential immediate cost of over £400 million. The scheme is well funded and it is expected that, subject to future investment returns, the eventual cost will be limited, or even nothing.
	We estimate the net financial benefit of ending routine inspection and assessment, closing the Audit Commission and introducing a new local audit framework as £1.15 billion over a ten-year period, of which £650 million will be realised in the next five years. Full details can be found in the impact assessment published alongside the draft Bill on 6 July 2012. The impact assessment can be viewed at: www.communities. gov.uk/publications/localgovemment/draftlocalauditbill
	The commission is primarily covering its own costs from income and reserves, and its transitional costs are set out in detail in the impact assessment. The department contributed £11.9 million towards the commission's redundancy costs in 2011/12. The National Audit Office's budget has been adjusted to reflect the work of developing its approach to the new code of audit practice, along with starting to undertake local value for money studies. The Public Accounts Commission has agreed an increase in net resource requirements for the National Audit Office of £2.3 million in 2012/13, £2.8 million in 2013/14 and £3.4 million in 2014/15, the majority of which relates to new work arising from the abolition of the Audit Commission. We do not have any estimates for the costs of preparatory work undertaken by other organisations.

Local Government: Local Audit Bill

Lord Christopher: To ask Her Majesty's Government who, under the terms of the Draft Local Audit Bill, would have responsibility for considering and propagating best practice and cost-effectiveness in local government; and who would have responsibility for investigating fraud in the area of local government.

Baroness Hanham: Responsibility for disseminating best practice and cost effectiveness in local government rests with local government. The Local Government Association through its sector-led improvement programme offers councils peer review services. Peer reviews support the sharing of best practice and cost effectiveness which help members and officers achieve greater efficiencies. The Government support and help to fund the Local Government Association's approach to its sector-led improvement role.
	The draft Bill includes powers which will enable the National Audit Office to undertake a small number of thematic value-for-money studies covering local delivery, providing an end-to-end view on the use of public money and helping to hold central government departments to account for the money they provide to local government. The National Audit Office will be able to draw on its national value-for-money studies experience and work with the local government sector to design studies which highlight good practice in the economical, efficient and effective use of resources across local authorities.
	The Audit Commission has powers to run data-matching exercises for the purpose of assisting in the prevention and detection of fraud, which it currently operates through the National Fraud Initiative. The Government are committed to the retention of the National Fraud Initiative following the closure of the Audit Commission. Provisions for the transfer of the data-matching powers to a new operational owner are included in the draft Bill, and discussions are ongoing as to who would be best placed to take on this role. As now, local authorities will continue to be responsible for investigating fraud in their own organisations, including any potential fraud identified by the National Fraud Initiative.
	Full details of the proposals are set out in the Command Paper, available at www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localgovernmentfinance/futurelocal audit/
	The proposals will be refined through pre-legislative scrutiny.

Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012: Security

Lord Prescott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any private company other than G4S contracted to provide trained security personnel for the Olympic Games by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is failing to deliver its contractual obligations.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The principal contract for trained security personnel for the London 2012 Games is between the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) and G4S. LOCOG has confirmed it has no other contracts with private companies in this area.

Olympic Games and Paralympic Games 2012: Security

Lord Prescott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of the provision of extra troops to meet the failure of the G4S Olympic Games contract to deliver agreed numbers of trained security personnel; and whether that cost will be met from any penalties or fines imposed pursuant to the G4S contract.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: No firm estimate is yet agreed for the cost of providing additional military personnel to carry out venue security roles at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. G4S has made it clear that it will bear any additional military and policing costs arising from failure to meet its contractual obligations.

Overseas Territories

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what capital grants and subsidies, in respect of transport, development and budgetary aid, have been provided in each of the last ten years for (1) Ascension Island, (2) St Helena, and (3) the Falkland Islands; and what is the population of each of those territories.

Baroness Warsi: St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands receive capital grants, subsidies and budgetary support from both the Department for International Development (DflD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	DfID provides budgetary aid to St Helena and Tristan da Cunha. The figures below for St Helena include money given to Tristan da Cunha (St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha form a single territorial grouping under the Crown). A breakdown of the figure which goes solely to St Helena is unavailable.
	Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands do not receive any direct bilateral capital grants, subsidies or budgetary aid from DflD.
	In November 2011 a contract was signed between St Helena Government and Basil Read (Pty) Ltd for the design, construction and operation of an airport on St Helena The contract will be in the amount of £201.5 million for the design and construction of the airport, with an additional amount of up to £10 million in shared risk contingency, and £35.1 million for 10 years of operation.
	
		
			 Dfld funding figures 
			 St Helena and Tristan da Cunha 
			 2001-02 £10,106,000 
			 2002-03 £9,555,000 
			 2003-04 £10,525,000 
			 2004-05 £14,481,000 
			 2005-06 £13,563,000 
			 2006-07 £15,692,000 
			 2007-08 £17,550,000 
			 2008-09 £35,738,000 
			 2009-10 £22,701,000 
			 2010-11 £31,050,000 
			 2011-12 Figures yet to be published 
		
	
	In the past 10 years all UK Overseas Territories have been eligible to receive funds from the FCO's Strategic Programme Funds. These have been used to allow purchases of capital equipment, upgrade critical infrastructure, to assist Territory Governments in bolstering the human capacity of their civil services and to review or update their legislations. The majority of the budget allocations are managed by the Territory Governors though payments are also made as grants or budgetary support.
	Records of expenditure held centrally at the FCO date back to financial year 2007-08. Figures for spend for years prior to this are held in the Archives Department and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 FCO FUNDING FIGURES 
			 St Helena 
			 2007/08 £116,054 
			 2008/09 £41,532 
			 2009/10 £57,000 
			 2010/11 £77,000 
			 2011/12 £96,583 
		
	
	
		
			 Ascension Island 
			 2007/08 £ 116,345 
			 2008/09 £108,940 
			 2009/10 £65,000 
			 2010/11 £2,052,000* 
			 2011/12 £78,590 
		
	
	* In 2010-11 the FCO funded the purchase of a new harbour crane on Ascension Island as part of a wider budgetary stabilisation programme.
	
		
			 Falkland Islands 
			 2007/08 £61,700 
			 2008/09 £162,865 
			 2009/10 £232,506 
			 2010/11 £35,000 
			 2011/12 £45,000 
		
	
	St Helena, as of July 2012, has a population of 4,230.
	Ascension Island, as correct at December 2011, has a population of 800.
	The Falkland Islands, as correct at April 2012, has a population of 2,563 (excluding civilian contractors at Mount Pleasant Airfield). As non-residents, military personnel are not included.

Pensions: British Rail

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is any signed Memorandum of Understanding between any Minister at the Department for Transport, the British Rail Pension Trustee and the British Railways Board, providing for an absolute solvency guarantee for retail price index-linked payments from the pension fund of pensions already in payment and those which had been deferred, in order to ensure that the pensions of exiting, deferred and future British Rail pensioners would be fully protected after rail privatisation; and whether they continue to honour the terms of any such Memorandum of Understanding.

Lord Newby: In 1993, during the passage of the rail privatisation legislation (i.e. Railways Act 1993) a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by a Minister of State at the Department of Transport (as it was then known), the British Rail Pension Trustee Company and British Rail was tabled in the Lords in connection with the debate on the Schedule of the Bill which addressed pensions (subsequently enacted as Schedule 11 of the Act).
	With regards to then existing and deferred British Rail pensioners the MoU indicated that agreement had been reached that a closed fund should be set up. Given those beneficiaries would no longer be paying contributions to the scheme the MoU indicated that the Government would provide an absolute guarantee of the solvency of the closed fund up to the level of RPI index linked pension payments. It did not guarantee that individual pension payments would be index linked by reference to the RPI; pension payments would be increased in line with the provisions of the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 for uprating "official pensions" (i.e. various public sector pensions including the principal civil service pension scheme, teachers and NHS pensions). At the time of the MoU the RPI would have been used as the appropriate index for uprating official pensions.
	The principles in the MoU were developed further and they continue to be honoured through: the Railways Act 1993; the setting up of the closed fund (the 1994 Pensioners Section of the Railways Pension Scheme); the Rules of the Section and the issue of a legally binding Government solvency guarantee given under the powers conferred by the Act.

Population Growth

Lord King of West Bromwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of population growth on (1) housing, (2) education, and (3) social services; and what steps they have taken to plan for further growth.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There are many factors influencing population change across the whole of the UK, and at a more local level it is for departments to consider the implications of population change on their policy areas.

Post Office: Credit Union Services

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Consumer Focus report Credit where Credit's Due, which proposes the provision of credit union services through the Post Office Network.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Government agree that the expansion of the credit union sector is important. The Department for Work and Pensions is leading a project with the potential to invest up to £38 million over three years, which will ask the sector to come forward with solutions to modernise, expand and achieve financial self-sustainability. The Government see the potential for Post Office Ltd to explore options for closer engagement with the sector as part of this initiative, where this is a viable option for both parties, building on the company's existing links with the sector.

Post Office: DVLA Contract

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to withdraw the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency contract from the Post Office.

Lord Newby: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has a five-year contract with Post Office Limited to deliver services via its branch network. This contract expires on 31 March 2013. There is currently a procurement process underway for front office counter services which will replace the current contract. Post Office Limited is one of the companies still in the process.

Post Office: Government Contracts

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that existing government contracts with the Post Office are protected.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they offer the Post Office to bid for government contracts.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Post Office Ltd has set out its ambition to retain existing, and to provide more, services on behalf of central and local government, including through developing new services that support Government's plans to deliver more services digitally.
	While the company operates commercially at arm's length from government, we have been absolutely clear that we support Post Office Ltd in its ambition. The government department or agency responsible for a particular service will decide how best to deliver that service and must, of course, procure these services in line with EU procurement regulations.

Prisons: Remand

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, in the light of the recent report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons on remand prisoners, to improve the conditions of prisoners remanded in custody pending trial or sentence.

Lord McNally: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is examining the recommendations and general messages contained in the report of the review of the Chief Inspector of Prisons on how remand prisoners are managed. These are being carefully considered and NOMS will formally respond to the Chief Inspector in due course.
	However, NOMS has already taken some immediate steps in response to two of the eight recommendations in the report. Specifically, the Director of National Operational Services in NOMS has written to all governors to remind them that all un-convicted prisoners must be asked for their agreement before being allocated to a shared cell with a convicted prisoner. In addition, governors have been reminded that remand prisoners are entitled to exercise their right not to work and that they should not be penalised for so doing.

Remploy

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what alternative employment has been offered to former Remploy employees who have been made redundant.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what training is available to former Remploy employees undertaking new jobs.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what difference there will be in the number of hours worked and wages received by workers redeployed from Remploy factories.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps are being taken to ensure that alternative jobs are available to all former Remploy employees.

Lord Freud: All disabled people who are made redundant as a result of the changes to Remploy have been offered a comprehensive suite of support available through the DWP people help and support package (PHSP).
	Currently the PHSP is providing people with an unprecedented level of individualised and tailored support. The Government have made £8 million available to fund the delivery of this support across the United Kingdom which will provide individual tailored support through a dedicated personal case worker (PCW) for up to 18 months.
	The PCW is the heart of the support offer for disabled staff. They will hold meetings and discussion with affected employees to best identify suitable support and opportunities and signpost or refer them to appropriate provision.
	PCWs will work with the individual to develop an action plan, using information from Remploy's ability profile skills and needs assessment. The action plan will identify how to address an individual's employment and personal issues by utilising the skills and experience available locally from partner agencies.
	People leaving Remploy can access the range of government-funded training options that might help them secure mainstream employment and can find out more about the opportunities open to them from their PCW. The Department for Work and Pensions is also working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Skills Funding Agency to ensure that ex-Remploy employees will be able to access fully funded skills training at their local college or training provider where available.
	Additionally as part of the PHSP, the Employers Forum on Disability is working with their employer members to offer targeted opportunities to Remploy employees under the "First Shot" programme. EFD will encourage its members to offer a range of opportunities to support ex-Remploy employees in obtaining alternative employment. These opportunities can include guaranteed interviews, work trials, industry sector specific training, pre-application training, on-the-job training and employer training in how to make adjustments for particular impairments.
	DWP's National Employment Service Team is working with Disability Symbol employers to identify potential suitable job or work-related opportunities and signpost ex-Remploy employees.
	The key aim of PHSP is to ensure that individuals have maximum opportunity for exercising their choice and control for their future based on their ability, aspirations and the opportunities available to them.
	As of 31 August 2012, 35 affected Remploy employees have already been placed into alternative employment. However, we are unable to make direct connections between the earnings and hours provided by these new employers and those supplied by Remploy.

Royal Mail: Postage Stamps

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the financial loss to Royal Mail caused by the reuse of non-cancelled and washed postage stamps over the past five years.

Lord Marland: This is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, Moya Greene, to respond directly to my noble friend and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

Royal Mail: Postage Stamps

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to eliminate postal fraud through the resale of used postage stamps on the internet.

Lord Marland: The Government do not have any current plans to prevent the selling of used postage stamps over the internet. The reuse of postage stamps that have been through Royal Mail is illegal and existing law provides for prosecutions.
	Royal Mail monitors the sale of postage stamps on internet sites to ensure that, where necessary, vendors inform potential buyers that used postage stamps are invalid and that it is illegal to reuse such postage stamps.
	The security features added to Royal Mail's postage stamps in 2009 have made potential reuse more difficult. Royal Mail will continue to look at security enhancements to help protect the company against such fraudulent activity.

Royal Mail: Postage Stamps

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to require internet auction sites such as eBay to refuse to carry advertisements for the resale of used postage stamps.

Lord Marland: The Government do not have any current plans to require internet auction sites to refuse to carry advertisements about the resale of used postage stamps.
	Royal Mail monitors the sale of postage stamps over the internet to ensure that, where necessary, vendors inform potential buyers that used postage stamps are invalid and that it is illegal to reuse such postage stamps.
	Royal Mail will, if necessary, take legal action against vendors who continue to sell used postage stamps for reuse.

Rwanda

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover (HL2000), whether the Secretary of State for International Development has now decided whether Rwanda has broken DfID's partnership principles; if not, when such a decision is due; when the United Kingdom's next general budget support payment would have taken place after July, and whether this will be delayed as well; whether DfID has delayed sector budget support payments as well as general budget support; and, if not, why not.

Baroness Northover: On 4 September, the then Secretary of State for International Development issued a Written Ministerial Statement on the Department for International Development's (DfID) decision to disburse half of the UK's delayed general budget support payment to Rwanda. As indicated in the Statement, the remaining half is being channelled into programmes in education and food security. Sector budget support payments were not delayed so as to avoid harming service delivery to the poor. There are still concerns that Rwanda could do more to meet fully DfID's partnership principles for budget support. DfID is scheduled to make a further general budget support payment in December. The decision on this payment will be made following an assessment of all relevant considerations.

Security: G4S

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government which services they expect G4S to take charge of from Lincolnshire Police.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: Decisions to engage private sector providers are taken by chief constables and approved by police authorities or, from November, elected police and crime commissioners.
	Private companies will not carry out police activities that require warranted powers, except to the extent that this is already permitted for detention and escort officers by legislation passed in the Police Reform Act 2002.
	Information regarding the scope of services to be provided by G4S to Lincolnshire Police is available on the force's website.

South Sudan

Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 28 June (WA 109), whether they are considering re-evaluating their approach to accountability and transparency in South Sudan, in the light of the alleged theft of at least £2.6 billion during the time when they have been donor lead on this issue.

Baroness Northover: The UK does not directly channel any money through the Government in South Sudan. In South Sudan we route funds through non-governmental organisations, private sector firms and multilateral agencies that have robust financial management systems.
	As a new country emerging from years of conflict, South Sudan faces huge challenges in putting in place strong and effective financial management systems and introducing a culture of intolerance to corruption.
	The UK took on the role of donor lead on accountability and transparency in May 2011. Over the last year we have strengthened our support for action to tackle corruption. Our work with the Government is ensuring that anti-corruption and improved accountability are high on their agenda and that they take concrete steps to stop the theft of public funds. This includes UK support to strengthen government budgeting and financial management systems and make the key accountability institutions (the National Audit Chamber and the South Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission) more effective. We keep all our programmes under regular review.

Transport: A371 Road Closure

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic and environmental effects of the closure of the A371 at its crossing of the rail line in Ausford Bridge in Somerset owing to National Rail maintenance works.

Earl Attlee: We have made no assessment of this road closure. Decisions about traffic management, including whether roads are closed or not, are a matter for the relevant highway authority.

Transport: Flexibility Scheme

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish draft regulations to implement European Directive 2011/88/EU of 16 November 2011 amending Directive 97/68/EC on the provisions for engines placed on the market under the flexibility scheme.

Lord Newby: The UK regulations are currently being drafted by Department for Transport officials and the Government will place them before both Houses as soon as the proper checking process is completed. I regret that I am unable to give a precise date but anticipate that this will be in the near future.

Transport: Rail Franchises

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures are in place to ensure fair competition between incumbent passenger rail franchisees which are part of an Alliance with Network Rail and other operators in franchise tenders; and whether Network Rail can participate with a train operator in franchise bids.

Lord Newby: The Department for Transport follows a clear, fair and competitive procurement process for franchises which seeks to secure the best value for money bids on behalf of rail passengers and taxpayers. A data site is available to all bidders, including incumbent operators, to share the information required to create a bid. This would include information about how any alliance that had been in operation on the franchise had worked.
	The Department does encourage bidders for franchises to work with Network Rail and other stakeholders in preparing bids, which are assessed within the scope of the current contractual or regulatory framework.

Transport: Railway Works

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they give to (1) local authorities, and (2) Network Rail, regarding the provision of advance warning to residents, traders and businesses prior to railway works that occasion the closure of major roads for long periods.

Lord Newby: The closure of roads for any purpose is a matter for the relevant highway authority and is undertaken under the Traffic Order process. No guidance or advice on consultation procedures is currently given.
	The planning and notification of all railway engineering works are operational matters for Network Rail under the industry's national possessions planning regime overseen by the independent Office of Rail Regulation. Network Rail liaises with the relevant highway authority, local residents, traders and businesses as appropriate.

Transport: Satellite Navigation

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the General Lighthouse Authorities' Research and Radionavigation Directorate has signed any contractual agreements for the use of eLoran satellite navigation services; what is the total value of any contracts signed; and whether there have been any further expressions of interest in the technology prompted by concerns over satellite navigation vulnerabilities.

Lord Newby: eLoran, a terrestrial low frequency navigation system that could be used as an independent back-up to satellite-based systems, is at an early stage of development by the General Lighthouse Authorities' Research and Radionavigation Directorate. It is too early for contractual agreements to be signed with third parties as it is a trial system, not currently in commercial use.

Turkey: Minorities

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of religious freedom enjoyed by the Alevi minority in Turkey.

Baroness Warsi: We have not made a specific assessment of the level of religious freedom enjoyed by the Alevi population in Turkey. However, we are aware of the recent pressure experienced by the Alevis. Along with the European Union Commission and others, we strongly encourage Turkey to maintain efforts to strengthen freedoms for all religious minorities in Turkey including the Alevis.

Turkey: Minorities

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of religious freedom enjoyed by the Alawite minority in Turkey.

Baroness Warsi: We have not made a specific assessment of the religious freedoms enjoyed by the Alawite minority in Turkey.
	Together with our European Union partners, we encourage Turkey to make progress on respect for, and tolerance of, minority groups, including the Alawite minority.

Turkey: Minorities

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of human rights and freedoms enjoyed by Kurds in Turkey.

Baroness Warsi: We share concerns expressed by the European Commission, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Council of Europe and others over problems faced by Kurds in Turkey. Freedom of expression continues to be a major cause for concern including the continuing detention of journalists, MPs and others.
	We welcome the announcement of the third judicial reform package to address some of the issues surrounding detention and news of a fourth package of measures to improve fundamental rights. We urge Turkey to implement these reforms promptly to improve the climate for freedom of expression.
	Plans to extend the provision of the Kurdish language in schools are an encouraging sign in extending the human rights of Kurds.

Valuation Office: Appeals

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many appeals against (1) council tax banding, and (2) business rate assessments, are currently lodged with the Valuation Office.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average length of time taken by the Valuation Office to make a determination on an initial appeal against a council tax banding.

Lord Sassoon: (1) Council Tax bands
	The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) received 21,960 valid proposals and appeals against bandings in the Council Tax Valuation Lists for England and Wales during the 2011-12 financial year.
	(2) Business rates assessments
	The VOA received 169,610 formal challenges against assessments in the 2010 rating list during the 2011-12 financial year.
	The VOA arrived at a considered decision and issued a decision notice on council tax proposals for England and Wales within two months of receipt in 99.3% of cases during the 2011-12 financial year.

Visas: Medical Students

Lord Crisp: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Border Agency will simplify the visa application process so that United Kingdom medical schools can establish elective programmes for overseas students which provide comparable experience to those undertaken by United Kingdom medical students overseas.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government why the UK Border Agency requires overseas medical students on short visits to the United Kingdom to go through the tier four visa arrangements.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK Border Agency will enter into discussions with United Kingdom medical schools about simplifying visa arrangements for overseas medical students to come to the United Kingdom on short educational visits.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The student visa system makes provision for overseas students to undertake a medical elective programme in the UK. Whether a student visitor visa or a tier 4 visa is the appropriate route is dependent on the activities the student will undertake as part of the programme. Home Office officials are already discussing this matter with the Medical Schools Council and others.

Welfare: Access to Work

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place a direct link to the Access to Work website on the Directgov website front page, instead of the current indirect link under the heading "Disabled People".

Lord Freud: From this October, the Directgov website will be replaced by GOV.UK. GOV.UK will be the new home for government services and information online, including access to work. It has been built by the Government Digital Service, which is part of the Cabinet Office.
	GOV.UK has been built to make it simpler, clearer and faster for people to find what they need from government. Once GOV.UK is launched on 17 October, the existing Directgov website will no longer be used.
	In preparation for the launch of GOV.UK, no further changes can be made to the Directgov website from 1 October. As the new improved GOV.UK will be coming soon, the request is being sent for consideration to the GOV.UK team.

Welfare: Social Fund

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current estimate of the number of claims that will be made for Social Fund loans or grants by residents of Newcastle upon Tyne (1) in the current financial year and (2) in the 2013-14 financial year.

Lord Freud: The department does not produce forecasts on the estimated number of Social Fund loan or grant applications at a local authority level, so the figures requested cannot be provided for 2012-13 or 2013-14.

Welfare: Work Capability Assessments

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of face-to-face assessments conducted by Atos Healthcare have been overturned by Department for Work and Pensions decision makers (1) since the work capability assessment began and (2) since June 2011.

Lord Freud: The information requested on face-to-face assessments as part of the work capability assessment (WCA) process is not available.

Welfare: Work Capability Assessments

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are monitoring the rollout throughout the country of the reforms of the work capability assessment recommended by Professor Harrington in his annual Independent Review of the Work Capability Assessment.

Lord Freud: Following the implementation of the recommendations in Professor Harrington's first review of the work capability assessment, a programme of monitoring and evaluation was put in place to capture the impacts of the changes. Professor Harrington endorsed this in his second review, advocating the ongoing monitoring of all his year one recommendations.
	In response, DWP is using a wide range of indices, management information and further customer insight to monitor all aspects of the changes introduced.
	DWP has planned a series of evaluation reports, which will capture further customer insight along with management information. These findings will be used to identify further improvements and will also feed into Professor Harrington's third review of the work capability assessment (WCA).

Yemen: Food Security

The Lord Bishop of Derby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the government of Yemen's 2010 National Food Security Strategy as a framework for the government of Yemen, the humanitarian community and international donors to tackle food insecurity in Yemen.

Baroness Northover: The 2010 National Food Security Strategy is an important foundation for an updated response to food insecurity in Yemen. The key challenge has been implementation of the Strategy, including the establishment of the planned National Food Security Secretariat which has been repeatedly delayed.
	The UK is committed to working with the Government of Yemen, donors and the humanitarian community to address food insecurity, and has committed to reaching 300,000 people with emergency food assistance and livelihood support, and to reaching 1.65 million women and children with nutrition interventions over the next three years. We also welcome the steps being taken to improve coordination among those providing food assistance in Yemen. In addition, DfID will continue to support implementation of an updated Food Security Strategy to address this pressing development challenge in Yemen.